This is the shocking moment an Oakland jewelery store owner was forced to cower in terror as a gang of armed robbers ransacked her stock before her brave husband chased them away with a gun.
The eight robbers armed with hammers broke into Phuong Jewelry in Oakland’s Chinatown on Wednesday, in what is considered the worst robbery the family-owned business has faced in more than four decades.
Images shared with ABC7 News The robbery shows store owner and mother Diane, 69, desperately ducking for cover as the robbers, dressed in black, begin to break into the small store.
Within seconds of entering, the masked group raised their weapons and began smashing the glass counters while Diane and another woman hid behind the counters.
The armed suspects continued to loot the warehouse as the terrified women screamed for help and bravely tried to grab what they could from the tops of the destroyed cabinets.
The eight robbers armed with hammers broke into Phuong Jewelry in Oakland’s Chinatown on Wednesday, while store owner Diane hid behind the display case.
Diane and another woman duck and run to leave the room as the robbers continue to loot the store.
In the images, her 76-year-old husband can be seen coming out of a door at the end of the store, which scares away the thieves.
With bags in hand, the thieves can be seen quickly piling jewelery into them as they continue their rampage around the store.
Diane begins waving her hands as she calls for urgent help, before the two women make the decision to run towards the nearest exit.
Crouching, they run across the long space behind the now-destroyed counter, but the thieves are too busy filling their bags with gems and jewels to notice or stop them.
They continue to bang on the glass with their hammers and reach into the cabinet with gloved hands as Diane watches from the corner of the door as she watches the family store fall to pieces.
Then, out of nowhere, the group begins to disperse and head towards the door, when a man dressed in red emerges from the door with a firearm in his hand.
Diane’s heroic 76-year-old husband storms out of the store as the criminals run out of the store.
Speaking to the news site, the son of the store’s owner, Tony Trinh, said the store had been robbed before, but never to this magnitude.
‘I thought: Did they shoot my mother? Did they shoot my father? Were any of our staff members of the community? he said.
Between 85 and 95 percent of the stock was reportedly hijacked in the heist, and Diane’s American dream collapsed in less than a minute.
Tony said his mother was “devastated” and his father “devastated” after the ordeal.
But the horror incident has not dampened Diane’s work spirit as her son revealed he would be back in the workshop today.
We can’t let our fear win! The only way to reduce crime is to have more traffic, events, people to get more resources. “A strong Oakland Chinatown is strong for all Oakland communities,” Tony said.
The local community and the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council have come together to create a GoFundMe to help the family offset the enormous loss they suffered following the robbery.
Oakland police told the news site that they are currently investigating the case and urge anyone with information to come forward.
Oakland is experiencing a worrying rise in crime as the area has been plagued by more frequent robberies.
As a result of the relentless criminal activity, several popular restaurants have had to close their dining room doors while staff worry about their safety.
Earlier this week, DailyMail.com revealed that Taco Bell locations in Oakland were forced to convert to drive-thru only amid a worrying spate of robberies.
Four of five locations in the Bay Area city now display large signs in their windows reading: ‘DINING CLOSED.’
Sources said the owner of a local franchise even threatened to close completely if the security situation does not improve.
In late January, a nearby fast-food restaurant, Denny’s, closed due to violence, and in February it was announced that Oakland’s only In-N-Out Burger restaurant will close after 18 years, with the company saying customers and the staff are now “unsafe”. ‘.
Amid rising levels of violence in Oakland, popular restaurants have been forced to close their dining rooms because customers and staff are now “unsafe.”
An Oakland police source called Taco Bell’s recent problems a reflection of the “very sorry state our city is in.”
“When it comes to robberies, in particular, this is the worst we have seen here in many, many years,” the source told DailyMail.com.
‘It’s sad that we’ve gotten to the point where Taco Bell customers can’t even enjoy indoor dining because of crime.
“We are in the midst of a doom cycle for businesses in Oakland as crime continues to rise,” the source continued.
‘There are not enough police officers and there is no real support for law enforcement in Oakland. Elected officials generally have no interest in public safety.
‘They are more sympathetic to criminals than to businesses or residents of Oakland.
Oakland police data reveals that robberies increased by a whopping 38% between 2022 and 2023.