A group of masked robbers carried out a $170,000-heist at a jewellery store in California on Thursday, prompting the shop owner to fire shots. The incident, which was caught on camera, has surfaced on social
media.
The wild security footage shows the jewellery-store owner in Madera firing at the gang, chasing them out of his shop and into the street — though the thieves still escaped with $170,000 worth of gems.
Watch The Video Here
NEW: Masked robbers go flying out the front door of a jewelry store they were robbing when the owner of the shop came out with a gun.
Surveillance video shows the moment a group of masked thugs went running for their lives in Madera, California.
The robbers were able to steal… pic.twitter.com/dGiiZsswL6
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 16, 2025
According to authorities, five experienced criminals wearing black masks and gloves stormed into Olivia’s Fine Jewelry around 5.30 pm on Thursday, smashing display cases and grabbing jewels in what investigators described as a carefully planned operation.
In the video, a store clerk is seen pushing one of the intruders back over a counter, causing the thief’s pants to fall. Moments later, the store owner emerges with a gun and opens fire, prompting the group to flee, police said.
Additional footage from outside shows the owner running after the suspects and continuing to shoot into the street. Police said it remains unclear whether any of the robbers were hit. The group escaped in a dark sedan, according to the City of Madera Police Department.
“It’s shocking to the conscience,” police Sgt. Blake Short told ABC 7. “It’s scary to the [shop-owning] family because it is a mom-and-pop store, with family being your own employees, it’s your own business and your livelihood,” the official added.
Short also emphasized the planning behind the heist: “This was definitely meticulous… It was thought out. It did not appear to be a first time for these individuals.”
The investigation remains ongoing as officers continue searching for the suspects, who abandoned their getaway car outside the city limits.
