BY AMELIA MATTHEWS
ARTESIA, CA - Sheriff’s deputies from Los Angeles County thwarted a robbery at the Golden Jewelers store in `Little India’ on Pioneer Blvd, here. Deputies Nick Patel and Yale Moseley arrested a trio of juveniles who attempted to rob the store on the 18600 block on Mar 10 evening.
ARTESIA, CA - Sheriff’s deputies from Los Angeles County thwarted a robbery at the Golden Jewelers store in `Little India’ on Pioneer Blvd, here. Deputies Nick Patel and Yale Moseley arrested a trio of juveniles who attempted to rob the store on the 18600 block on Mar 10 evening.

Speaking with India Journal Deputy Patel recounting the incident said as he and his partner were patrolling the area across the street from the store on foot, they heard people screaming and running out of the store. They immediately ran into the store with weapons drawn. Three youngsters, two Hispanics and one African-American, were using hammers to smash the glass counters and grab as much jewelry as they could, he said, adding that they also had pepper spray.
The duo brought the suspects to the ground and held them until backup came to handcuff them and take them to the station, according to Patel.
Fortunately, employees and customers who were in the store at the time the incident happened were not hurt, Patel said. According to witnesses a person in a silver getaway car did manage to elude authorities and remains at large, Patel said.
When asked what steps merchants in the markets should take to prevent such incidents, Patel highlighted the importance of merchants as the first line of defense. He urged merchants to be vigilance of their surrounding and those entering the stores and to immediately report suspicious activity. He also suggested that merchants of jewelry stores should get together and hire private patrollers to tighten security. Jewelry stores are a soft target for criminals who are aware that the merchants do not carry weapons and that the stores have mostly female employees behind the counter, Patel said. He also suggested that employees needed special training to cope with such situations and should exercise greater caution before buzzing in customers.
Patel’s advice to customers in such a situation is: `keep calm.’ Indian-American women , he said, should not openly display their gold jewelry while waking in the market. Patel informed that incidents of chain snatchings in the area have registered a decrease recently due to increased police patrolling but not so with robberies in jewelry stores. Just last month, a jewelry store in the market was robbed and the suspects are still at large.
Beat patrolling and foot patrolling brings the police in direct contact with customers and merchants which increases the sense of security, Patel said adding, ``our presence makes a big difference.’’
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to call Sgt. Greg Knapp at (562) 243-3704.
The duo brought the suspects to the ground and held them until backup came to handcuff them and take them to the station, according to Patel.
Fortunately, employees and customers who were in the store at the time the incident happened were not hurt, Patel said. According to witnesses a person in a silver getaway car did manage to elude authorities and remains at large, Patel said.
When asked what steps merchants in the markets should take to prevent such incidents, Patel highlighted the importance of merchants as the first line of defense. He urged merchants to be vigilance of their surrounding and those entering the stores and to immediately report suspicious activity. He also suggested that merchants of jewelry stores should get together and hire private patrollers to tighten security. Jewelry stores are a soft target for criminals who are aware that the merchants do not carry weapons and that the stores have mostly female employees behind the counter, Patel said. He also suggested that employees needed special training to cope with such situations and should exercise greater caution before buzzing in customers.
Patel’s advice to customers in such a situation is: `keep calm.’ Indian-American women , he said, should not openly display their gold jewelry while waking in the market. Patel informed that incidents of chain snatchings in the area have registered a decrease recently due to increased police patrolling but not so with robberies in jewelry stores. Just last month, a jewelry store in the market was robbed and the suspects are still at large.
Beat patrolling and foot patrolling brings the police in direct contact with customers and merchants which increases the sense of security, Patel said adding, ``our presence makes a big difference.’’
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to call Sgt. Greg Knapp at (562) 243-3704.