3 Men Dressed in Suits Hold Up Jewelry Store Inside Oaks Mall

A trio of well-dressed robbers held up a jewelry store here, cleaning out the display cases and tying up two employees, police said Saturday.

The heist occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Friday at Samuel’s Jewelry in the 200 block of Hillcrest Drive inside The Oaks mall, said Det. Mike Christensen of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. No one was injured.

One man entered the store alone, approached manager Karapet Danielian, 25, and flashed a gun tucked into his waistband, Christensen said. While he was tying up another employee, the two accomplices walked in.

After the men, all wearing suits and ties, emptied the display cases, they forced Danielian to lead them to the walk-in safe, from which they stole more jewelry, Christensen said. The robbers then bound Danielian and fled out a back door.

The victims were able to free themselves within about five minutes and call police. A search of the mall was unsuccessful, but authorities said they have good surveillance video of the men.

The robbers were described as Latinos about 40 years old. One is about 5 feet 9, 200 pounds, with black hair. The second is 5 feet 6, 180 pounds, with salt-and-pepper hair. The third is 5 feet 9, 160 pounds, with black hair.

An employee said the jewelry store would be closed through Wednesday for inventory and to calculate the losses.

Anyone with information is asked to call Christensen at 494-8223.