Thieves made off with a haul worth over $800,000 in a brazen break-in at a Glendora jewelry store, after drilling through safes and eluding security systems, officials said. "It still feels not true, and it feels like I'm in a nightmare," Monir Kassis, the store's owner, told KABC in the aftermath of the crime, which he described as devastating, especially since the stolen items included personal jewelry and firearms belonging to him and his wife.

According to Kassis's account to NBC Los Angeles, the thieves snuck in through the roof of Desire Jewelry on North Glendora Avenue on the night of May 15, disabling the alarm system and painstakingly working for approximately six hours to penetrate two steel safes — not only did they seize the merchandise Kassis had prudently relocated from the showroom, but also the couple's private treasures.

Although the store had security cameras installed, the back room camera was disabled by the burglars, pivotal moments, however, were caught on tape — including a fleeting glance at one of the criminals in the safe room and the sounds of power tools that were likely used to breach the robust safes.

While there are no reports yet of apprehensions, Kassis has filed a police report and remains hopeful, noting to KABC that fingerprints and blood found at the scene could provide clues necessary for detectives to crack the case, "I am praying that I hope that (there is DNA on the) blood, so it's easy to catch them," he lamented, the sense of violation and loss palpable in his voice.