CHICAGO (CBS) — A West Ridge neighborhood jeweler said his store on a very busy stretch of Devon Avenue recently.
The jeweler estimated that $300,000 in merchandise was lost.
Devon Avenue along Chicago’s Little India section of West Ridge is filled with smalls shops and family-owned businesses—such as Darbar Jewelers, at 2632 W. Devon Ave.
At Darbar Jewelers—located in an area of particularly high foot traffic at Devon and Talman avenues across from Fresh Farms International Market grocery store, formerly the North Water Market—the display cases are now empty.
The shelves were cleaned out earlier this month by smash-and-grab thieves.
Surveillance video shows a crew of three men bashing through the locked door of the jewelry store and methodically smashing the display cases one by one. The cases were filled with expensive jewelry.
“He really didn’t want those robbers to take his hard-earned money,” said Ali Karim Parekh. “It’s just empty, depressing, sad.”