The tranquility of a west Las Vegas neighborhood was shattered when Asset Appeal, a local jewelry store, became the target of a burglary. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, saw a thief smash through the store window with a sledgehammer and make off with thousands of dollars worth of inventory. AJ Stein, the owner of the store located on Flamingo Road near Fort Apache Road, woke up to the unsettling news that his business had been compromised.
Amid the chaos and recovery efforts, Stein disclosed to FOX5, "I’ve been a resident of this area. We’re in one of the safest pockets of Las Vegas. Definitely something I didn’t expect." The burglar's heist was caught on surveillance, showcasing the audacity of the attack as the perpetrator focused on two display cases left stocked, presumably due to being deemed less at risk.
In a statement obtained by 8 News Now, Stein expressed his dismay, “I always knew there was an inherent risk with having a retail watch and jewelry store and carrying the kind of jewelry that we do. I just didn’t expect it to happen here.” Following the burglary, the store has had to refuse service to customers and is expected to remain closed for several days as repairs are underway.
The thief's haul is estimated to be between $7,000 and $10,000, a sum that could pale in comparison to the additional costs of repairing the property and upgrading security measures. Despite these losses, Stein remains grateful that more valuable pieces were safely locked away and inaccessible to the burglar. However, with the storefront and window damages, he anticipates costs could climb to approximately $50,000. Redoubling security efforts, Stein told FOX5, "We’re going to have custom fabricated metal gates going in. We’re putting in thicker windows. We’re putting in security film."
Stein is calling upon the community's vigilance to aid in bringing the perpetrator to justice. "Hopefully somebody recognizes the hoodie, somebody recognizes the frame, because again, it was a very specific outfit that he was wearing that he came in," Stein said in a FOX5 interview. Local law enforcement continues their investigation but has not made any arrests thus far.
