Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Wayzata Police Connecting Jewelry Store Heist to Recent M.O.s

Wednesday caper involved several individuals and was caught on camera.

Note: This post has been corrected to reflect the crime was a burglary, not a robbery.

Loss estimates are still being calculated, but Graham Jewelers in Wayzata was burglarized early Wednesday morning.

Police believe the crime may be connected to a Nov. 15, 2011 burglary at Shelly Storch Fine Jewelry in Wayzata and another jewelry store burglary in the city of Anoka last week.

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Burglars broke into Graham Jewelers on Lake Street about 3 a.m. and were in the building for less than three minutes. Several men were caught by surveillance cameras smashing display cases, removing jewelry and placing items into a bag.

Chris Graham has owned Graham Jewelers for eight years and employs nine people. He said he has never been burglarized before.

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"The alarm company called me shortly after 3 a.m. and told me the store had been robbed," he said. "I came right out, and the police were already here."

Graham went on to say he wouldn't be surprised if the parties responsible for the burglary had been in the jewelry store prior to Wednesday's burglary.

"They knew what they wanted," he said.

The glass protecting Graham Jewelers' display cases is similar to bullet-proof glass, Graham said, and penetrating it required several swings of a heavy hammer.

"It's two pieces of glass with a shatter-proof laminate in between," he said. "It slowed them down. I was talking to another jeweler last week who is remodeling, and he asked me about the glass. I told him it was really expensive and probably not worth it. I might change that advice after this. I'm relieved it wasn't worse."

Police arrived at Graham Jewelers within minutes of the alarm being triggered, but the thieves were already gone. An official statement issued by the Wayzata Police Department Wednesday afternoon said the first call came in at 3:04 a.m. and the first officer arrived on scene at 3:05 a.m.

"Officers found entry was made by breaking a large window," Wayzata Police Chief Mike Risvold wrote. "Jewelry cases were smashed and an undetermined amount of jewelry was taken."

Chief Risvold added that "Wayzata police are working with several metro area law enforcement agencies on the investigation."

Graham Jewelers was closed Wednesday as staff cleaned up and took inventory, but Graham said doors could re-open as early as Thursday or Friday. Graham is in the preliminary phases of the loss reporting process and said he would talk to his insurance company about issuing a reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

"I want them off the streets so they don't do it again," he said.


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