Huntington Beach jewelry store reports $7,700 worth of merchandise missing after ‘smash and grab’ Sunday

Employees at Princess Bride Diamonds in Huntington Beach fought off four “smash and grab” robbers Sunday, likely saving the jewelry store from widespread loss, though three rings were reported missing a day later.

Huntington Beach police responded to reports of the incident at about noon Sunday, department spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said. When officers arrived, they found evidence the robbery had indeed occurred at the Bella Terra store.

Princess Bride released surveillance footage on its Instagram Stories of the robbery. It shows four thieves in dark-colored hoodies, at least some of them carrying hammers and holding backpacks. One thief immediately uses a hammer to break a glass display case upon entering the store.

But three employees are seen fighting back, punching and kicking to push the robbers out of the store in seconds. One of them was carrying a stool and struck a thief with it as he or she attempted to escape.

“We just faced a smash and grab at our store,” one employee wrote on Instagram. “We fought back, and are okay. Fortunately they were not able to get anything due to our awesome team.”

Princess Bride Diamonds in Huntington Beach was the victim of a “smash and grab” robbery Sunday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

However, Carey said investigators followed up with the store Monday, and $7,700 of jewelry was reported missing.

Three rings are missing after inventory was completed, the store reported on Instagram on Monday afternoon.

No injuries were reported in the robbery.

Carey said that HBPD has not made any arrests, but the investigation is ongoing. Three suspects — including two 17-year-old boys and a 21-year-old man — have been arrested after a similar smash-and-grab robbery Monday at a Daniel’s Jewelers in Whittier.

Carey said Tuesday afternoon that Huntington Beach police have been working with Whittier authorities to determine if the incidents are related.

“There is some investigative and forensic work that needs to take place first to confirm that,” she said.

About an hour after Princess Bride was robbed on Sunday, Don Roberto’s Jewelry Store in Santa Ana was also a victim of smash and grab. Santa Ana police reportedly apprehended three of the four suspects in that robbery.

Princess Bride Diamonds is a family-owned jewelry store that has been in operation since 2006.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.