FBI investigating Carmel-by-the-Sea jewelry smash-and-grab

By Felix Cortez

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    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — FBI agents have been called in and are now assisting in the investigation of a smash and grab robbery of a high-end jewelry store in downtown Carmel.

The store on Ocean Avenue known as Fourtané was robbed Tuesday evening just after five. By Wednesday morning nearly a dozen FBI agents were seen outside the store processing evidence.

“They’re looking for any kind of trace evidence or small evidence … that can physically link these people together with physical scientific proof that the people we have in custody were inside that store and committing that crime,” said interim Carmel Police Chief Brian Uhler.

Surveillance video shown to Action News 8 but not authorized for release shows three suspects getting out of a black SUV, all of them wearing black clothing and hoodies. They run into Fourtané’s and are gone in less than 40 seconds.

“Three guys jumped out of the car you could see they had a big yellow handled sledgehammer ran in and then they ran back in, got in the car and took off,” said Donna Aeillo who also saw the video.

“Terrible, I can’t believe people are doing this,” Aeillo added.

The getaway car and two suspects one of them a minor were arrested shortly after the robbery, near Marina.

Wednesday Carmel Mayor Dave Potter responded to the robbery. Potter was in the middle of a council meeting when he was alerted about the robbery.

“It’s an alarming criminal phenomenon across the state across the country actually people getting bold and brazen apparently they didn’t get the message you come to Carmel you’re going to get caught,” Potter said.

Arrested were 19-year-old Elijah Juarez along with a juvenile.

The interim police chief says the brazen robbery has all the markings of similar smash and grab robberies making headlines around the state.

“It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities for this to be an organized effort involving people who are committing other similar crimes in other parts of the state,” Uhler said.

Two suspects are still being sought and the chief says his detectives are following up on active leads.

“We have several that we are following up on in terms of apprehending the other two people that were involved and that remain at large,” Uhler said.

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