Gold thieves hit 11 Penney stores in California; haul is $2.5 million

A gang of gold thieves has broken into at least 11 JCPenney stores across the state in the last 18 months, stealing about $2.5 million in jewelry, authorities said.

Investigators say the thieves probably are motivated by gold’s market price of $1,000 an ounce. Typically, two to four masked men break into a closed store, smash a display case and take only the gold jewelry.

The two latest store break-ins occurred Friday, when the bandits hit the Laguna Hills store about 2:30 a.m. and then went south to Carlsbad, where they struck another JCPenney about 4 a.m.

The stores are located as far south as El Cajon and north as Pleasanton. Stores in Orange County and Los Angeles counties have already been hit.

 Gil.reza@latimes.com