THORNTON, Colo. — A Colorado family's jewelry business was targeted by thieves for the second time this year: just months after armed robbers stole merchandise worth millions from the Joyeria El Ruby store in northwest Denver, burglars ransacked the business' second location in Thornton.
Security camera footage shows masked burglars using crowbars to break in through the front doors of Joyeria El Ruby in Thornton and loading up on jewelry just before 5 a.m. Friday. At this point, it is unknown how many valuables the thieves took, but for Lidia Tena, one of the owners, the burglary is bringing back difficult memories from this summer.
On June 24, armed robbers stormed the Joyeria El Ruby store in Denver and pistol whipped Tena as well as other employees. She previously told 9NEWS that more than $2.5 million worth of jewelry was stolen. Investigators eventually arrested four Venezuelan nationals, who are currently in custody while under indictment.
“It stirs everything up again, you relive things again," Tena said in Spanish. "You feel that frustration, that powerlessness that, once again, what you worked arduously for — from morning to afternoon, all day here — for someone to come and strip you of what's yours, I mean, you feel a lot of powerlessness, a lot of sadness, a lot of pain."
According to Thornton Police, detectives are working to identify the thieves. The surveillance video captured three of them rifling through drawers, putting jewelry in their pockets and into bins, and running out of the shop within four minutes.
The shop’s security system triggered a police response, but the burglars were able to get away before officers arrived.
Tena said she is thankful that her family wasn’t present in the shop this time. Back in June, Tena told 9NEWS that her niece was also injured when armed men entered the Denver store earlier this year.
Tena said she has faith that those responsible will be caught a second time around.
“I trust the authorities, that they’re going to help us find them,” Tena said.
Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call Thornton Police's hotline at 720-977-5069.