Downtown Dinuba jewelry store loses thousands after robbery Friday night

DINUBA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Rivera's Joyeria, a jewelry store in Downtown Dinuba, is suffering a devastating loss.

Sergeant Jason Kent with the Dinuba Police Department says the local business is out $100,000 after thieves broke in Friday night.

"It has got to be painful for the business owners, and I absolutely feel for them because they are out a large amount of money," Kent said.

The thieves made off with the valuables in a heist that seems right out of a movie plot.

First, they broke into the roof of the neighboring vacant business. Once inside, the criminals used the empty store to stage for the next part of their operation, making their way into the jewelry store next door.

"On occasion, we have had rooftop burglaries," Kent said. "Sometimes it is the easiest point to gain access, unfortunately."

They stole cash and jewelry. Rivera's is an authorized agent for company Trans Fast, a service people use to transfer money out of the country. Some of those funds could have been stolen.

Police say there's a higher chance of recovering the jewelry.

"We can track jewelry," Kent said. "We have a good description of what was taken. That makes it easier to trace."

Kent says Rivera's did have cameras and a security system, but because of the way the thieves got into the store, they weren't alerted of the break-in until around 10:30 Saturday morning.

Now the police department is warning small businesses to make sure they're properly outfitted.