At least seven suspects were detained after a jewelry store was rammed and looted; others remained under search late Friday.
FULLERTON, CA — A smash-and-grab robbery at an Anaheim Hills jewelry store on Friday afternoon triggered a two-car police pursuit that ended in separate crashes minutes apart in Fullerton, leaving several people with minor to moderate injuries and prompting a multi-agency manhunt for suspects who ran from the scenes.
Authorities said the break-in began shortly after 2:30 p.m., when a black SUV plowed into the front of a jewelry shop along Santa Ana Canyon Road. Police said thieves rushed inside, shattered display cases and grabbed merchandise before splitting into two getaway vehicles. The pursuit that followed drew officers from Anaheim, Fullerton and Placentia. By evening, at least seven people connected to the heist had been detained as investigators pieced together the route, the collisions and the suspected stash of jewelry. The case remained active overnight with detectives processing vehicles and surveillance video while traffic teams documented the crash sites.
Fullerton police said Anaheim officers first reported the pursuit at about 2:38 p.m. The initial crash occurred around 2:40 p.m. at South Lemon Street and East Orangethorpe Avenue, where one suspect vehicle hit multiple cars. The department described the resulting injuries as “minor to moderate,” Fullerton Police said. Four people from that suspect car ran from the intersection, according to investigators, and nearby officers took the driver into custody within minutes. At 2:43 p.m., a second crash linked to the same crew unfolded roughly two miles away at North Euclid Street and West Malvern Avenue, again involving several vehicles and another group of suspects who tried to flee on foot. Patrol units and a police helicopter guided officers to detain additional occupants there. Afternoon commuters were diverted around both intersections while paramedics treated the injured and towed crumpled sedans from the roadway.
Investigators said the crew arrived at the Anaheim store in a black Nissan Rogue that was driven directly through the front entry before the smash-and-grab. Once inside, several people broke glass cases and grabbed jewelry; a firearm kept in plain view inside the shop was also taken, according to initial reports. The Rogue, believed to be stolen, was abandoned at the storefront while the group left in two other vehicles identified by witnesses and aerial units. News helicopters showed the shop’s doors bent inward and shards of safety glass spread across the sidewalk of the Anaheim Hills shopping center. Police said officers did not attempt an immediate traffic stop when they first spotted one suspect car near the 91 Freeway and E Street, but the driver accelerated into city streets and later collided with other vehicles at Lemon and Orangethorpe. At the second site, officers said a vehicle matching the lookout description crashed at Euclid and Malvern as ground units converged. The exact number of vehicles damaged and the final injury count were still being tallied late Friday.
The Fullerton and Anaheim departments said detectives are reviewing store and city cameras, license plate reader hits and footage from a police helicopter to confirm the sequence of events. The store owner told reporters that merchandise losses may approach $1 million; police have not released an official valuation and said the final figure will depend on an inventory audit. Officials believe eight people were involved in the heist and getaway. By nightfall, at least seven suspects had been detained, with others possibly still outstanding; authorities did not immediately release names, ages or hometowns. Investigators were also tracing the origin of the Nissan Rogue left at the store to determine whether it was taken in a prior theft. Beyond the stolen items, crash investigators documented skid marks, debris fields and signal timing at both intersections to reconstruct the collisions and determine speeds.
The break-in and pursuit drew comparisons to recent smash-and-grab crews that have targeted high-value retailers in Southern California, where thieves have used stolen cars to breach doors before grabbing jewelry or designer goods and fleeing in caravans. Anaheim Hills sits along the 91 corridor that connects Orange County and the Inland Empire, making it common for suspect vehicles to jump between jurisdictions within minutes. While most recent large-scale retail thefts have ended without major collisions, police noted that the risk rises sharply when suspects split into multiple cars and drive through crowded arterial streets during the afternoon commute. Both Fullerton crash locations are busy connectors near homes, shops and schools, with multi-lane intersections that can funnel high-speed traffic into turning queues; any pursuit-related collision there can clog entire blocks and complicate emergency access.
As of late Friday, police had not announced specific charges, which will be determined after interviews, evidence collection and consultation with prosecutors. Detectives were securing warrants to search the recovered vehicles for tools, clothing and stolen jewelry and to test airbags and interior surfaces for fingerprints or DNA. Authorities said they expected to release further updates after booking decisions and a more precise loss estimate from the store. Traffic investigators will compile reports for each crash, including injury documentation from hospitals that received patients from the scenes. If additional suspects remain at large, police said they would continue directed patrols and notify nearby agencies through regional task force channels. No court dates were immediately available.
Outside the Anaheim Hills storefront, employees swept glass while contractors measured the buckled frame for a temporary board-up. The smell of coolant and dust mixed at the Fullerton intersections as tow operators winched bent fenders and popped airbags into trucks. Shoppers described hearing a “boom” from the crash-battered doorway in Anaheim and later the chop of helicopter blades over Fullerton. A driver waiting at Euclid and Malvern said he saw a sedan “blast the red and hit cars in the middle lanes” before people “bailed out and ran.” Officers used flashlights to search hedges and alleys near both crash sites as neighbors watched from behind police tape. By 7 p.m., traffic flowed through modified lanes while crews finished clearing debris.
As of Friday night, the storefront was secured, both Fullerton crash scenes were cleared and at least seven suspects were in custody as detectives worked to confirm the total number involved. Authorities said the next update would follow evidence processing and booking decisions over the weekend.
Author note: Last updated January 24, 2026.