Perth Amboy Jewelry Store Hit in Bold $1 Million Smash-and-Grab

Newly installed security glass did not stop four masked men from smashing into SD Jewelry on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy and making off with about $1 million in gold and diamonds. The robbery unfolded in broad daylight on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, directly across from a police substation, a detail that only sharpened the audacity of the hit.

Surveillance video showed the men using sledgehammers to break through the front window before grabbing jewelry and fleeing in a gray-and-black BMW SUV. Police pursued the vehicle, but the suspects got away. The store’s owners, Stephanie Duran and her mother, tried to stop the thieves from escaping. Duran’s mother suffered bruises to her arm and leg, and Duran said she was cut while fighting back.

By April 10, Duran was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. By April 17, no arrests had been made, and the store was slowly rebuilding. New security glass was already in place, merchandise was being restocked, and Duran hoped to have the display cases fully refilled and repairs finished within two weeks, with a possible reopening by Monday.

The case landed with particular force because it exposed how fragile even upgraded storefront security can be when a crew arrives with tools, speed and numbers. INSTORE’s 2023 Big Survey found that about 10 percent of more than 400 jewelry store owners and managers said they had experienced a smash-and-grab robbery. Jewelers Security Alliance president John Kennedy has warned that these robberies have been increasing nationwide, especially in mall stores, where groups of three to 10 people can create dangerous conditions when owners resist.

For independent jewelers, the lesson is not just that glass can be broken. It is that every layer of protection carries a cost, from tighter entry controls and leaner display cases to higher insurance and less inventory on the floor. That often means a more guarded in-store experience, fewer pieces available to touch and try, and, eventually, higher prices for the gold jewelry customer pays for long after the window is repaired.