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Three people took an estimated $50,000 in gold and silver from a downtown Palo Alto jewelry store in a brazen smash-and-grab burglary early Thursday morning, police Lt. Con Maloney said.
The burglars smashed a glass front door at De Novo Fine Contemporary Jewelry at 250 University Ave. at about 12:50 a.m. on Nov. 18. A nearby security guard heard the commotion and called the police. Two people entered the store while a third person waited in a getaway car on Ramona Street.
Once inside, the burglars smashed three large jewelry cases and stole bracelets, earrings, rings and necklaces. They fled in what appeared to be a light blue minivan of an unknown make and model, Maloney said. The van fled north on Ramona Street toward Lytton Avenue. Officers responded immediately but were unable to locate the vehicle and its passengers, Maloney said.
Police have obtained video of the heist. Investigators don’t know the gender of the two burglars. One who wore a dark hoodie, dark pants, sweatshirt and face covering was about 5 feet, 8 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches tall. The second burglar also wore dark pants, a dark sweatshirt and a mask and was between 5 feet, 7 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall.
On Friday morning, a person who answered the door at De Novo said they were still “in recovery mode” and declined an interview. A sign on the boarded-up door alerted customers that the store would be closed for the day.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police’s free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.