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Pasadena, CA--In a smash-and-grab incident, three masked assailants armed with hammers pocketed around $500,000 worth of jewelry from "Jewels on Lake." They assaulted its owner, Sam Babikian, with pepper spray. The theft is the latest in a series of flash mob-style robberies unsettling Southern California.

[Image via Pexels Commons]

According to a New York Post report, the incident occurred around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday. “As soon as I opened the door, I got pepper sprayed right in my eye, my throat, my mouth,” Babikian told local station KTLA, as per the report. “I couldn’t see anything. Then all I could hear was smashing and grabbing.”

The report noted that burglars shattered the shop's display cases and, within a mere three minutes, nearly emptied the store of its jewelry. Despite his ordeal, Babikian pressed a concealed panic button, alerting the police.

In the report, reflecting on the event with NBC4, Babikian expressed his distress: “I work so hard for this, all of my life… I’m concerned about my safety." 

"This is going on a lot," Babikian noted. "Hopefully, I will be the last one. That is my prayer.”

The report added that this incident is not isolated. A spate of such crimes has plagued the region. Notably, on August 24, Westfield Fashion Square's Macy's surveillance in Sherman Oaks captured nine individuals, presumably in their early 20s, emptying shelves in under two minutes. A Nordstrom Rack in Riverside was looted days before, marking its second robbery. On August 13, thieves raided a Nike store in East Los Angeles, escaping with bags brimming with merchandise.

The report highlighted that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in collaboration with LAPD officials, recently inaugurated a task force dedicated to addressing these flash mob robberies. This team has already recorded successes, apprehending 11 culprits from the aforementioned Nordstrom’s Westfield Topanga incident.

Learn more in the entire New York Post report.