A grinder was used to crack open a metal safe in the store, where $62,000 in merchandise was taken
Thieves smashed a hole through a cinder-block and lumber wall to get into a Qualicum Beach jewelry store, where they broke into a metal safe and stole an estimated $62,000 worth of merchandise.
It’s the fifth break-in in less than a year at jewelry stores owned by Jeff Ross of Nanaimo. He said he’s so discouraged by the “epidemic of theft” that he’s thinking about closing up shop.The stolen merchandise wasn’t insured, said Ross, adding he has not been able to buy insurance for eight years. “The world we live in has changed so much,” he said. “I’m 63, so this is my retirement. Now I’ve lost well over $100,000 between these break-ins that I can never recover.”