Suspects Attempt Robbery at Santa Monica Boulevard Jewelry Store

Sheriff’s deputies blocked off Santa Monica Boulevard between Hayworth and Fairfax for two hours Tuesday night as they investigated a jewelry store robbery, hunting for suspects believed to still be inside the building.

Fourteen sheriff’s cars, a police helicopter and a K-9 unit were deployed to investigate a break in at , located at 7902 Santa Monica Blvd. Store owners called 911 after receiving an alarm call.

Owner Robert Goukasian said when he and his father arrived, they found a small hole cut in the eastern wall of the store. The adjacent business, a former medical supply store, is undergoing renovations for a planned café.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived about 10:30 p.m., they blocked the street and sidewalk as they combed the crime scene and the adjacent business, unsure whether the suspects were still on the premises. However, they found no one in either business.

Sherriff’s deputies determined that the robbers broke in the door of an upstairs apartment in the building, then gained entrance to the adjacent store below.

The robbers began cutting a hole in the wall shared with the jewelry store. Goukasian speculated that when the robbers put their hand through the wall, it set off the motion-detector alarm in the jewelry store.

Once allowed back inside the store, Goukasian, who along with his father has owned the business since 1986, quickly determined that nothing was missing.

"Although the jewelry store wall was breached, no items appear to have been taken," Lt. John Ratto of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's West Hollywood Station told City News Service.

Sheriff’s deputies said they will continue to investigate the scene for fingerprints and other evidence.

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