‘45 seconds of horror’: Fullerton couple assaulted, heirlooms stolen in follow-home robbery
Wedding plans, generational treasures and a family’s peace of mind were shattered in Fullerton on Friday night in what authorities are investigating as a follow-home robbery.
One assailant punched longtime emergency room physician Vijay Wali and tossed him to the ground outside his family home in an act he called “45 seconds of horror.” The incident occurred as he and his wife, Jyotika, exited their white Tesla at 7:48 p.m., according to home security footage.
Another thief then stole Jyotika Wali’s cash, cell phone, purse and an additional bag containing family heirlooms. The items included a dejhoor — a piece of traditional Kashmiri Hindu jewelry — made of gold and encrusted with diamond and rubies.
The dejhoor was one of three pilfered traditional pieces that were intended to be used by the Wali’s daughter, Priyanka, in her upcoming wedding.
“It was a nightmare and I’m thankful to God that neither my wife or I were killed,” Vijay Wali said in a phone interview with The Times. “I was happy there wasn’t a visible weapon and we’re able to talk about it today.”
Jyotika Wali, an internist, described the incident as “terrorizing” and said now even grocery trips leave her filled with “fear of what may happen.”
The Fullerton Police Department would not confirm any details, citing an ongoing investigation.
Priyanka Wali, an internal medicine and obesity medicine physician, said neither of her parents suffered serious injuries. But her father has a “huge abrasion” on his knee after tearing his jeans during a tussle with one suspect, and only recently recovered his voice, which he lost from shouting, she said.
Priyanki Wali said her father is still deciding if he will undergo an MRI, since he was struck on the head.
Most of the damage, she said, was psychological.
The couple left their home that Friday afternoon to attend to chores, including purchasing parts to refurbish the dejhoor, which they also hoped to have professionally cleaned. The three dejhoors belonged to Priyanki Wali, her mother and her maternal grandmother.
Vijay Wali and his wife arrived too late to a Little India jeweler to accomplish that task and left Artesia at 6:54 p.m., according to surveillance footage from a local store.
The couple did not take their normal route home, however, as Vijay Wali said he initially drove toward Brea to a men’s suit outlet. About halfway there, however, he told his wife he was “too tired” and decided to return home.
They pulled up to their driveway at 7:57 p.m. Jyotika left the passenger seat and entered the family’s garage carrying her purse and another bag, while Vijay went to unload the trunk.
Twenty people were charged this week in connection with an string of Orange County crimes including more than 30 burglaries and the loss of $500,000 worth of cash and goods.
Two men are shown on surveillance footage arriving at the house on foot while an unknown number of suspects are inside a black Honda Odyssey and another vehicle, a white sedan, circling the block. The first man is seen on surveillance rushing toward Jyotika Wali.
The suspect then stole her purse and valuables and is seen fleeing the scene on the surveillance footage.
As this was happening, Vijay Wali said he screamed to his wife “to close the garage and call 911.” He ran toward her before a second man attempted to push him back into the Tesla. During the melee, the suspect grabbed Wali, threw him to the ground and punched him in the head.
Priyanka Wali was inside the family home with her fiancé Asheesh Bhalla when she said she heard her father’s yells and then her mother’s “blood-curdling, hair-raising” shriek, causing her to drop a cup of tea.
Priyanka Wali ran outside and called the police while Bhalla, a former Nevada state deputy general counsel, jumped into his car and unsuccessfully tried to chase down the fleeing vehicles.
Vijay Wali attempted to track his wife’s stolen phone but was “disappointed” when he found the device discarded in a neighbor’s yard.
The question facing Little India goes beyond how to reinvent itself. The undercurrent in many conversations is: Does it have a reason for existing?
Since the assault, Priyanka Wali has decide to borrow a sister-in-law’s dejhoor for her wedding.
“This piece is so traditional and so rare, you can’t even find them in big Indian cities,” she said. “I can’t believe someone would take it and I hope local pawnshops don’t buy them.”
She said she’s has been undergoing therapy to help deal with the trauma of the robbery.
She’s also spearheaded her own investigation, grabbing surveillance footage from a jewelry store in Little India.
Footage shows a similar Odyssey tailing the Wali’s Tesla out of the Little India commercial complex. She’s also placed videos and photos on her Instagram account.
“Seeking justice through the justice system is something we all need,” she said. “We want these guys apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That will help us.”
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