$600,000 in Jewels Are Stolen From Van : Crime: The Sheriff’s Department believes a sophisticated group of thieves who follow gem dealers may be responsible.

A gem dealer who had stopped for dinner at a Camarillo restaurant returned to his van to find that thieves had eluded his alarm system and stolen about $600,000 worth of jewels, authorities said Monday.

Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said a sophisticated group of thieves who follow gem dealers might be responsible for the crime, which is similar to many pulled off in Los Angeles County.

“It seems like someone was following him,” Detective Steve Bourke said. “It very well could be the same type of ring.”

Three cases of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and other gems were stolen from Ralph Bragg’s van Sunday about 9 p.m. as the 71-year-old dealer from San Diego ate dinner with his wife at Sizzler-Steak Seafood Salad restaurant at 1755 E. Daily Drive, Sgt. Paul Oeschle of the Sheriff’s Department said.

Bragg, who said he is not insured because premiums are too expensive, said the thieves also took four suitcases of clothing, thousands of dollars in proceeds from the jewel show they had just attended and Bragg’s prescription heart medicine.

The culprits overlooked about $300,000 worth of jewels stored under the van seats, said Bragg, who is still conducting an inventory of everything that was taken.

“It’s a tremendous loss,” Bragg said. “Financially, we’re not going to starve, but it makes a hell of a dent in our net worth.”

Bragg said he believes the thieves followed him from Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County, where he had set up a display during a gem show. He said he noticed a group of men casing the merchandise as he packed up his trays of jewels.

“They came up to the display and sized it up,” he said.

Bragg, however, said he is used to potential shoplifters casing merchandise and did not think about the men after he left the show about 7 p.m.

When he and his wife stopped for dinner, Bragg said he was careful to set the security alarm on his Ford Aerostar van and to park under a bright light between two cars. He said he stood up during dinner a couple of times to peer through the restaurant’s window and check for suspicious activity.

The van alarm is set to sound when the car is tapped or even when the door handle is touched.

The thieves entered the van by breaking a side window that could not be seen from the restaurant, he said. Apparently, the shattering glass was not enough to set off the alarm, which was still operational, Bragg said, when he returned after dinner.

“It’s not a haphazard thing,” Bragg said of the robbery. “It’s very well planned and very well executed.”

Such “distraction thefts” account for about $20 million in losses in the Los Angeles area each year, said Dave Evans, a sergeant in the Organized Theft Unit set up two years ago by the Los Angeles Police Department. The culprits, who come predominantly from South America and sometimes from Europe, specialize in jewelry theft, Evans said. They also are known to participate in luggage thefts at airports, shoplifting and con games.

Evans said they prefer to avoid confrontation and rely on distracting their victims--sometimes by putting cars out of commission by puncturing tires or cutting radiator hoses.

The thieves, who typically do not carry weapons, set up surveillance on victims and follow them until an opportune moment, he said. To blend with the wealthy clientele who frequent jewel shows, the thieves dress in expensive clothing, Evans said.

“This is a profession,” Evans said. “They don’t do anything else. This is their job.”