Two masked suspects burst into Antioch Jewelers on Wild Horse Road just before 11 a.m. on August 31, one of them smashing a display case with a hammer while the other pepper-sprayed the store owner, according to police. They grabbed jewelry and fled in a getaway vehicle — but an alert witness had already caught the car's license plate, setting off a chain of events that landed both suspects in custody within days.
According to the Antioch Police Department, that witness handed the plate number to officers, who fed it into the department's automated license plate reader network. The technology helped detectives locate the getaway vehicle, which police later seized as evidence. Detectives identified the suspects as 18-year-old Adrian Cortez and 18-year-old Zaimarri Williams, both of Antioch.
The Antioch Herald reports the robbery unfolded at approximately 11 a.m. on August 31 at the store's location on Wild Horse Road off Hillcrest Avenue. Detectives began covert surveillance on Cortez as he moved through the city, then coordinated with patrol officers to arrest him near West 4th and K streets on September 1, per the same account. Detectives located Cortez in Antioch that day and took him into custody.
Handgun and Stolen Jewelry Recovered
When officers searched Cortez, they recovered a significant amount of jewelry later identified as property stolen during the robbery, along with a concealed .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, according to the Antioch Police Department. Williams remained at large until this week, when detectives located him at an Antioch residence on September 10 and took him into custody. Detectives served a search warrant at that residence the same day and collected additional evidence.
Both Cortez and Williams are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, the department noted in its announcement. The Antioch Herald reports both 18-year-olds were held on $100,000 bail each, with Cortez booked into a Custody Alternative Facility ahead of a September 16 court appearance in Martinez.
Vandalism and Robbery Charges Filed
Beyond the robbery allegation under California Penal Code Section 211, Cortez and Williams face formal accusations of felony vandalism under Penal Code Section 594(b)(1) for the destruction of the jewelry store's glass display case, according to Contra Costa News. Under state law, robbery is classified as a violent felony and a strike offense under California's Three Strikes Law, carrying a potential state prison sentence of up to five years for second-degree robbery, per the Shouse Law Group.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Arturo Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or [email protected], according to police.
License Plate Cameras Under Expansion
The case lands as Antioch officials weigh a broader overhaul of the city's license plate reader network. In August, the Antioch City Council evaluated a $661,687, 49-month contract with Axon Enterprise to consolidate the police department's automated license plate reader system into 55 fixed camera locations, replacing retiring Motorola and Flock networks, according to CLAYCORD.com.
The technology's utility was on display again just a day before the jewelers arrests were announced. On September 9, Antioch officers used a license plate reader alert to track a stolen U-Haul van, which led to a foot chase and arrest at Antioch City Hall, the Antioch Herald reported.
Part of a Broader Regional Pattern
Robberies in Antioch have actually trended downward overall, even as this case draws attention. Antioch Police Department crime data shows reported robberies fell 23% from 241 incidents in 2024 to 185 in 2025, even as overall adult arrests rose 39%, per Contra Costa News. During the first seven months of 2026, the department recorded 87 total robbery incidents citywide, with monthly totals peaking at 18 reported robberies in April, the outlet noted.
The Antioch smash-and-grab also fits into a wider pattern across Contra Costa County, where law enforcement and prosecutors have recently pursued multi-suspect smash-and-grab crews targeting retail jewelry stores in San Ramon and Concord, according to Contra Costa News.
