A violent robbery at a Palm Desert jewelry store in August has led to the arrests of six men accused of carrying out a series of smash-and-grab thefts across Southern California, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

On Aug. 9, around 2:15 p.m., deputies responded to reports of a robbery at a jewelry store on the 72800 block of Highway 111. Witnesses told investigators that four masked individuals burst into the shop with hammers, smashed display cases and stole more than $87,000 worth of jewelry before escaping.

Detectives later discovered that the Palm Desert heist was part of a larger pattern. Since May, at least 12 similar robberies have targeted stores in the same chain across Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, investigators said.

After weeks of investigation

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