The U.S. Department of Justice has released dramatic surveillance footage of a coordinated, “mob-style” heist that decimated a Fremont, CA, jewelry store’s inventory last year, resulting in the loss of $1.7 million in merchandise.
The video, made public this week and reported by KRON News, offers a graphic look at the June 18, 2025, raid on Kumar Jewelers in Fremont, CA. According to the footage and police reports, a fleet of vehicles arrived at the storefront, where the crew used a vehicle to ram the front entrance. Nearly two dozen masked suspects swarmed the showroom like a tactical unit, using hammers and picks to smash display cases.
The thieves filled backpacks with gold and diamonds, clearing out an estimated 75% to 80% of the store’s goods in roughly 70 seconds. The video shows two female employees fleeing to a back room for safety as the chaos unfolded.
Following the robbery, Fremont police engaged in a high-speed pursuit of a black Acura that reached speeds of 80 mph through residential areas while running stop signs. Officers eventually arrested four suspects—Afatupetaiki Faasisila, Jose Herrada-Aragon, Andres Palestino, and Tom Parker Donegan—and recovered some stolen property.
While those four face charges, the majority of the “robbery crew” remains at large. According to records reviewed by the East Bay Times, two of the apprehended suspects have been released while the legal case is pending
Robber Pulls Out Circular Saw to Break into Jewelry Store in Daylight Robbery
Two helmeted suspects carried out a brazen daylight heist at a U.K. jewelry store in early March, escaping with several pieces of merchandise after a confrontation with witnesses.
The robbery targeted Garnier’s Jewelers in the town of Hoddesdon, according to reporting from the New York Post. Security footage captured one suspect using a circular saw to cut through a glass display case while an accomplice brandished a machete to keep bystanders at bay. After reaching inside to seize “a number of items from a display,” the pair fled the scene on a moped,.
Police said they had recovered the getaway vehicle and a helmet but are still hunting for the suspects.
The incident underscores a growing trend of aggressive tactics designed to bypass traditional security glass in high-traffic areas.
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