Thieves who may be part of an organized crime ring targeted a celebrity jeweler in Florida Saturday, using a jammer to disable the store’s alarm system and make off with nearly $500,000 in valuables, according to police and the owner.
“They cut a hole in the roof and attached the ladder to an AC unit with a rope and climbed down from the roof,” Chris Petrillo of Mint Jewelers by Boodaddy Diamonds told Fox News Digital. “They walked along the beams inside the attic and put this big jammer in there, and it stopped the signal of the alarm system.”
A detective told Petrillo the crew is likely part of a sophisticated crime ring that’s hit at least six stores in the last week in South Florida.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Petrillo, who has sold pricey baubles to Billie Eilish, Flo Rida, T-Pain and Pete Davidson, said the burglars missed a key detail when they cased his Hollywood shop.
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A Florida burglar who helped swipe $500,000 in valuables from a jewelry store caught red-handed on Ring camera. (Mint Jewelers by Boodaddy Diamonds via TMX)
They didn’t notice a Ring camera placed discreetly in a corner, which captured a clean shot of one suspect’s face.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“You can see the guy was very surprised,” Petrillo said of the footage showing the suspect wearing a mask over his mouth, spotting the small camera and pointing to it. “His friend had his flashlight in his mouth, and when he turned his face toward his friend, he flashed him in the face. And that’s how we were able to get a good picture of him.”
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The suspects have not been apprehended, but the clean shot of part of one suspect’s face could help detectives crack the case.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Celebrity jeweler Chris Petrillo, posing with client T-Pain, was burglarized Saturday by thieves using this jammer, right, to disable his security system. (Chris Petrillo/Mint Jewelers by Boodaddy Diamonds via TMX)
In the footage, the men, wearing dark clothes and clutching flashlights, creep through the store methodically sweeping jewelry from glass cabinets and drawers into a backpack. Their haul included more than precious stones.
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They allegedly swiped a rare orange Chanel purse valued at $5,000 and a bottle of Louis XIII liquor worth $4,300, Petrillo said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The owner said he was surprised the three burglars, who were in and out in less than four minutes, were able to bypass his top-of-the-line security system with a jammer.
Burglars cut a hole in the roof of Mint Jewelers by Boodaddy in Hollywood, Florida, Saturday, and inserted a ladder into the store to gain access to the shop. (Mint Jewelers by Boodaddy Diamonds via TMX)
The device, he said, looks like a bomb with 15 antennas sticking out. “It was plugged into my alarm system, and then they cut all the wires,” he said. “I had no clue they could do that. My system is UL-rated with a UL certificate.”
Petrillo was fast asleep when he received an alert about 5 a.m. from ADT Security Services saying his system had lost signal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Five hours later, he checked his Ring camera and saw the men looting his store.
Celebrity jeweler Chris Petrillo, posing with client Flo Rida, was burglarized Saturday, and this rare orange Chanel purse, valued at $5,000, was stolen. (Chris Petrillo)
The loss was substantial.
“I’m still listing everything, but it’s close to about half a million dollars,” he told Fox News Digital.
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A public information officer with the Hollywood Police Department said an investigation is ongoing.
