HOUSTON — The owner of a jewelry store and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are appealing to the public in hopes that someone will be able to identify three individuals who were captured on surveillance video stealing gold directly in front of the store owner.
On Wednesday, November 22, an incident took place at Arnold’s Jewelry and Watch Repair, located inside the El Rancho Supermercado on Veterans Memorial Drive.
A case was smashed with a hammer, and approximately $20,000 worth of gold chains were grabbed before the culprit fled the scene.
Jared Arnoldo Mejia, the owner, swiftly hurled a mirror at them in a daring attempt to stop their escape. Despite his best efforts, they managed to elude him. This intense incident unfolded unexpectedly amidst daylight.
Mejia estimated the time to be around 30 seconds.
He has been feeling anxious ever since.
“I’m frightened when I see people.”
22 years ago, Mejia made the life-changing decision to move to the U.S. from Mexico in order to provide a better life for his family. For the past three years, he has been running a small shop in north Harris County.
“Why would you take someone’s hard-earned money and exploit a small business that has been built from the ground up?” Guzman questioned.
Mejia is still in disbelief that the thieves had the audacity to carry out a robbery in the bustling supermarket, despite the presence of security cameras at every corner.
According to Guzman, the presence of cameras and workers did not deter the individuals from engaging in their actions. He believes that their lack of fear and disregard for the consequences is a mockery to the community.
Both of them are eager for the culprits to be apprehended quickly to prevent them from targeting another business.
Despite not having insurance coverage for lost inventory, Mejia remains determined to overcome this setback.
According to Guzman, he states that the individual in question maintains a positive outlook on life, emphasizing that it continues to progress and offers endless possibilities. In addition, he expresses his commitment to investing time and effort into resolving the situation to the best of his abilities. Guzman concludes by affirming that life does not come to a halt, highlighting the importance of maintaining a forward-thinking mindset.
If you have any information about the crime or recognize the suspects, please contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or HCSO at 713-274-9200.