Orange County mandarin duck thief steals hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry from store owner in seconds

In a shocking incident reported by KTLA, two thieves disguised as wealthy patrons executed a brazen jewelry heist in just seconds at a jewelry store in Orange County. The duo made off with high-value items worth hundreds of thousands of dollars right under the nose of the store owner.

The robbery occurred on the afternoon of September 17 at OC Diamond Estate Jewelry on Glassell Street. Store owner Samy Soliman recalled the moment the thieves entered the shop, requesting to view some expensive pieces. He noted that they appeared well-dressed and wore lavish jewelry, giving off an air of affluence.

Soliman recounted, “My phone suddenly rang, and I stepped away from the display case to take the call. In that brief moment, the woman strategically placed a jewelry box on a chair. I didn’t even notice because her male accomplice was standing directly in my line of sight.”

After he finished the call, the woman continued to engage him in conversation to distract him, while the man quickly stuffed the jewelry box into his pants and they both exited the store. Surveillance footage shows the woman setting the jewelry box down as the man covertly hides it beneath his shirt.

“It was literally just a second that I turned my back; in that instant, the items were gone,” Soliman expressed. He didn’t realize the jewelry box was missing until later that evening. “When I was putting the other pieces back in the safe, I noticed one box was missing, and I thought I had misplaced it somewhere.” It wasn’t until he reviewed the surveillance footage that he understood the truth: they had stolen from him.

This marks the third time in four years that Soliman has experienced a theft at his store, but it’s the first time he’s witnessed it happen in real-time. He has reported the incident to the authorities and is leveraging social media in hopes of bringing the culprits to justice. “I’m terrified to showcase my jewelry now; my mind is filled with fear. I don’t know what will happen next; it’s truly frightening.”

The pair stole multiple high-end items, including 84 antique rings, with an estimated value between $120,000 and $150,000. Regarding the financial impact, Soliman mentioned, “This theft is devastating for me, as all the profits I earned over the past few years are now wiped out. It’s an enormous loss.”

The store’s Instagram account has posted surveillance images from the incident, appealing to followers and the public to help identify the thieves. Anyone with information or who might recognize the individuals in the video is urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department immediately.