3 days ago
Cook County jewelry store heist: Thieves get away with $1M in merchandise
The Brief
Thieves broke through a wall to rob Rick Kleinvehn Diamond Brokers in South Barrington over Mother's Day weekend.
Police say the suspects used a vacant office to cut a hole in the wall and enter the business.
About $1 million in jewelry and watches were stolen; the store owner is offering a $75,000 reward.
COOK COUNTY - A jewelry store in South Barrington is asking for the public's help after thieves broke in over Mother's Day weekend and stole about $1 million worth of product.
What we know
The burglary happened at Rick Kleinvehn Diamond Brokers, where police say suspects used a neighboring vacant office to break through a wall and gain access to the store undetected. The internet connection was also cut.
Once inside, the thieves emptied two large safes — sawing one open and likely cracking the code on the other. The store's owner believes the break-in was carefully planned, given how precisely it was carried out.
What they're saying
The suspects made off with a significant amount of merchandise—worth about $1 million—including jewels and watches.
"I was devastated," owner Rick Kleinvehn said. "We have a great staff here. We all work very hard and we travel across the country constantly and to replace everything in there is tens of thousands of hours of work. It's a lot of lost time and money."
What's next
Kleinvehn is offering a $75,000 reward for information in the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact South Barrington police.
The Source
The information in this article was provided by the owner of Rick Kleinvehn Diamond Brokers and the South Barrington Police Department.
