Answers are now being demanded by an old couple in Berkeley after they lost their jewelry items with an estimated worth of $500, 000 to an alleged burglar attack.
Their treasure, along with other valuables, were kept in a 300-pound safe in their residence.
In an interview with KPIX 5, the couple said authorities were fast to react to the incident but alleged that the responding department was not equipped with resources to investigate the matter thoroughly and bring their jewelry back.
The victims said the thief broke into their house and was aware of his way around. He entered upstairs and pulled the safe on the hardwood floor and used a cover from the bed to bring the items downstairs.
The couple, who refused to divulge their identities, were caught by surprise.
“It was oh my God, the entire safe had been stolen,” the husband shared to KPIX 5.
Inside the safe were keepsakes from their family’s generation that they want to pass down to their grandchildren one day.
“There are valuable things inside a safe but more importantly, there are priceless memories,” said the wife.
Included in the treasure is a $5 gold piece that was once used by the woman victim’s great great grandfather who played an important role in the abolitionist movement.
“I like to think he held the coin and maybe Abraham Lincoln did too,” she said.
According to the victims, they were only one of the three homes attacked by the burglar at the same time in the same neighborhood. The suspect targets old victims with ages around the 70s or 80s.
The couple wants the man who appeared in the security camera to be identified. A reward of $40, 000 is up for the safe to be returned.
“This could be a good kid deep down inside and maybe it’s enough it can turn somebody’s life away from making money this way,” the couple said.
The case is not under the investigation of the victims’ private investigator. The contact number 415-961-0980 is open to accommodate anyone with information regarding the case.
