Blowtorch burglars hit another jewelry store in Encino, cutting hole through shared wall

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Burglars blowtorched their way through a jewelry store in Encino -- making off with the livelihood of several jewelers.

The jewel thieves spent hours inside the Encino Jewelry Mart, and they didn't have to break into the store's glass or security bars to get inside. Instead, they broke into a vacant storefront next door and cut a hole in the wall.

Five separate jewelers share the space in the store. Amin Nassiri's brother was the one hardest hit.

"Everything he built was gone overnight," Nassiri said.

Authorities say it was a three-hour heist. Two safes were broken into using a blowtorch and were completely emptied.

"It's all fine jewelry. It's all diamonds, it's all gold and platinum, 18 carats -- some pieces of jewelry," Nassiri said. "That easily adds up to a lot of money. How much? I don't know."

The owner of the business says security cameras show five men who spent about three hours in the store between midnight and 3 a.m. on Monday.

They got in by breaking into a vacant storefront next door, then cutting a hole in the shared wall.

He suspects they electronically jammed the security system long enough to get inside and tear down the alarm box.

They got inside by cutting a hole in the roof of a neighboring shop. They then cut through concrete and eight inches of the safe itself.

Jewelry stores are seemingly coming under more fire lately.

Another similar jewelry store robbery just happened last week in Simi Valley. Then, a Glendale jewelry store was hit a couple of days later, with the thieves coming in through the roof.

A Glendale jewelry store was cleaned out by thieves who came in through the ceiling. The theft has similarities to another jewelry store robbery in Simi Valley.

Nassiri's brother has been at the Encino store for 42 years. At 69 years old and facing health problems, the loss is beyond devastating.

"Somebody works for so many years, so hard, to build this, and for everything to be gone in just one night, it's all gone," Nassiri said.

The business owner didn't have insurance. Eyewitness News spoke to the individual jewelers at the store, and they said most jewelers don't carry insurance because it's too expensive and there are too many loopholes to avoid payouts.