73-year-old jewelry shop worker bravely confronted a group of suspected smash-and-grab robbers, causing them to flee when he brandished his firearm as they entered the store.
Albert Marcu, an employee at Estates Consignments in Pleasant Hill, approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco, shared his experience on “Jesse Watters Primetime.” He mentioned his awareness of the rising robbery incidents in the Bay Area and his preparedness for such situations.
Surveillance video from the consignment shop captured the incident. The footage showed Marcu reacting quickly by seizing his handgun and aiming it at several men charging towards the store’s glass cases, one of whom seemed to have a sledgehammer.
California has witnessed an increase in smash-and-grab robberies, where assailants target high-end stores, breaking display cases with weapons like bats and sledgehammers to steal valuable merchandise.
Marcu recounted to local media that a woman was seen surveying the store before the men’s entry, possibly coordinating with them over the phone. The store’s entrance camera footage displayed the woman trying to hinder the security guard from closing the door as the male suspects rushed in.
According to KTVU, Marcu, prompted by a colleague’s scream, approached the jewelry cases and drew his .38 caliber handgun, pointing it at the intruders.
“I showed them my gun, and I told them to stop it, I have a gun,” Marcu explained to KTVU about the encounter. He noted that the robbers fled upon seeing his firearm, panicking and scrambling to leave the premises.
Marcu, speaking on Fox News, expressed his passion for his job and his intent to protect his workplace and colleagues. He emphasized his readiness to use his gun if his or his employees’ lives were threatened.
The police arrived quickly at the scene, but the suspected robbers had already escaped. No arrests were made at the time of the incident, leaving the suspects unapprehended.
