Nine suspects are now in custody in connection with a watch robbery at the Westime Malibu store. In March, suspects stormed into the luxury watch retailer at Cross Creek in broad daylight, pepper-sprayed the manager, smashed jewelry cases and made off with thousands of dollars worth of high-end watches.
Department of Justice spokesperson Meredith Davis said the nine suspects were part of a watch and jewelry heist ring responsible for nearly a dozen robberies across Southern California in the past year. All of the robberies were “smash and grab” style and occurred during retail business hours. In some cases, shots were fired to scare employees and customers. In all the cases, the suspects were able to flee in waiting getaway cars. After one robbery in Orange County, the suspects reportedly threw Rolex watches out of the window of their car during a police pursuit. In all, authorities said the gang made off with roughly $6 million worth of goods that are still unaccounted for.
Police said the watches were sold by ringleaders who promised a portion of the profits to the men they hired to carry out the dangerous crimes. Authorities also say those men were often shortchanged on what was promised. The nine suspects could face 20 years in prison. Two other men associated with the crime spree are still on the loose.