Baroness Jewelers in Goleta was burglarized August 15 with the suspects making off with millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry, some of it belonging to customers. But the Goleta shop may not have been the only target. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the heist appears to be part of a string of similar burglaries across California.
Deputies first responded to Baroness Jewelers on August 16, one day after the break-in is believed to have occurred in the early morning hours. What they found was the aftermath of what investigators are calling a “high-value burglary.”
“Through their investigation, detectives believe that [the crime] shares similarities with other recent jewelry store burglaries across California,” said Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office. “Detectives are working to identify all victims connected to this case.”
In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who had jewelry at Baroness Jewelers — for repair, resale, or consignment — to contact them. “Detectives are working to identify specific stolen items that could help connect suspects to the crime and aid in the possible recovery of stolen property,” Zick said.
So far, no arrests have been made, and investigators have not released any suspect descriptions or surveillance footage. The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that detectives are “coordinating with allied agencies who are investigating similar cases” throughout the state. The case remains “active and ongoing,” Zick said.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim, or who has information that could assist investigators, is urged to contact Detective Ellis with the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at (805) 681-4150.
While Baroness Jewelers remains open, the shop declined to comment when reached by phone.
