Assault of 88-year-old San Jose jewelry store owner sparks community outcry

Community leaders and family members are demanding stronger crime prevention measures after an 88-year-old jewelry store owner was assaulted and hospitalized in a coordinated robbery in San Jose, California, last week.

What happened: The incident, which was caught on surveillance video, saw more than a dozen thieves drive a vehicle into Kim Hung Jewelry on the 1900 block of Aborn Road at around 2 p.m. on Friday. The footage shows approximately 16 masked individuals pouring through the shattered entrance, with one wielding a claw-like hammer to destroy display cases.

The owner, who was closing early due to illness, was knocked to the ground by the robbers. He sustained cuts from glass shards and later suffered a stroke requiring hospitalization. Meanwhile, his son, who was present at the store, escaped injury. The perpetrators escaped in several vehicles, leaving behind damage estimated between $50,000 and $100,000.

Reactions: The victim’s niece, who arrived shortly after the attack, expressed outrage after viewing the disturbing footage. “My heart was pounding, mad, angry, worried,” she said at a gathering outside the store Sunday. She grew even more alarmed as her uncle repeatedly asked “We ready to go home?” and appeared unable to respond coherently, leading to the emergency visit that revealed his stroke. Meanwhile, Mayor Matt Mahan called the crime “appalling” in an X post. “Watching this senior get assaulted made my blood boil,” he noted, adding that he is in touch with San Jose police.

Cupertino Mayor Liang-Fang Chao, who attended the gathering alongside other regional leaders, emphasized the broader impact: “Every small business and their livelihood depends on income from the stores.” Unfortunately, after nearly four decades in business, the owner appears unlikely to reopen, his niece said.

The big picture: The attack, far from the first to target Asian Americans in the city, has amplified concerns about crime against immigrant-owned businesses in the Bay Area. The leaders on Sunday pushed for the enhanced implementation of Proposition 36, which strengthens penalties for certain drug and theft crimes but needs state funding. “We need more support in public safety, in police officers. We need more DAs to prosecute this type of crime, bring more cameras,” San Jose Councilman Bien Doan said.

Authorities have yet to make arrests. Anyone with information about the attack is urged to contact the San Jose Police Department’s Robbery Unit at [email protected].