Sacramento Jewelry Store Robbed

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Employees and family members at the small mom-and-pop jewelry store in south Sacramento were devastated by a robbery Wednesday.

"That's kind of terrible, to tell you the truth," witness Brent McCormack said.

Police say King Jewelers on 12th Avenue was the target of a crafty and cunning trio of suspects.

"Apparently they posed to be a customer," Sacramento Police Sgt. Hue McGee said.

One showed up at the gated and secured door telling employees inside he had jewelry to sell. He was apparently convincing because the employee felt comfortable enough to unlock the door -- and that's when two more suspects forced their way in.

"They had one that had a gun," McGee said.

Frightened employees were forced to the display counter at gunpoint, afraid for their lives as the suspects took "miscellaneous jewelry, from gold chains to other miscellaneous items," McGee said.

The robbery took place in broad daylight at a very busy strip mall. The suspects took the jewelry and calmly walked out of the store just before officers showed up.

"We didn't notice anything, just that the officer told us someone walked in and robbed the store," a woman named Sophia said. "We were just doing laundry."

There are security cameras at the store, but CBS13 wasn't allowed to see what was actually recorded.

However, we checked with a Shell station across the street and saw three individuals walking out of the store on the gas station's surveillance video around the same time of the robbery.

"I know times are hard, they really are," McCormack said. "But when it comes to the point you're too lazy to work but not too nervous to steal, what can you do about it?"