Elk Grove police warn of spike in thieves snatching jewelry, latest victim speaks out

CBS News

07-05-2025

ELK GROVE — The Elk Grove Police Department put out a warning on Tuesday to beware of distraction robberies, with thieves snatching expensive jewelry off the elderly and women.
"I know it is just material, but for her, it is very important because she has worn it for so many years, and she is thinking how I can forget the memories I have with the chain," said Ramesh Kumar, son of the latest victim in Elk Grove.
Sundrambal Selvaraj is still in shock from what happened to her in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon.
Selvaraj was on the front porch with her daughter-in-law, Ariel Lee, when Lee said a silver Hyundai with a man and woman inside pulled up near their driveway.
Lee said the man started asking for driving directions, and then the woman in the backseat started approaching Selvaraj, who is 70 and just moved to America from India four months ago.
Selvaraj walked CBS13 through how the woman gave her a hug and then convinced her to come back to the car with her. That is when Lee said the woman placed a fake gold chain in the palm of her mother-in-law's hand and swooped the one around her neck.
Lee feels like her kindness was taken advantage of.
"Next time, you cannot help anybody anymore," she said.
The necklace was a family heirloom that Selvaraj's husband had given her. It was worth thousands of dollars and was intended to be passed down.
"Just because they are coming in to give you a hug or ask you to see something, if you don't know them, unfortunately, we're at that point now, you don't engage," said Sergeant Jason Jimenez with the Elk Grove Police Department.
Jiminez said that in the past six weeks, there have been five of these distraction robberies — twice in neighborhoods and the other three in shopping centers. He said each has targeted the elderly or women wearing expensive jewelry.
"There is some type of ring where they are definitely being trained how to do these," Jimenez said.
The Los Angeles Police Department put out a warning to residents at the end of April about the same type of activity that has seen a spike.
CBS13 also spoke with a woman in Rancho Cordova who said the same thing happened to her mom while on an evening walk two weeks ago.
The trained tactics are leaving victims like Sundrambal with trauma, snatching her necklace and sense of safety.
"She is still in the shock. She can't come out from the shock," Kumar said. "She keeps saying that 'Hey, you told me that America is safe. See now what happened on your doorstep? We lost the things right in front of your doorstep."
Jimenez said Elk Grove police have strong leads for the most recent case and have arrested two others tied to other distraction robberies over the past few weeks. They are working with neighboring agencies to catch whoever is responsible.
"The reality is these folks aren't doing the robberies here in Elk Grove and staying in Elk Grove, they are moving from place to place," Jimenez said.
He is reminding people to speak with loved ones who may be vulnerable to this kind of crime, and if it happens to you, he recommends pulling out your cell phone to start recording to get any images of what the suspects may look like to help in the investigation.