Jewelry dealer robbed at hotel

The dealer had flown in from New York and was on his way to conduct business in San Jose and Sacramento when two men approached him from behind, one with a gun and the other wearing a mask.

Matteucci described the suspects as "professional thieves.”

"It was organized, not random. It’s what they do,” Matteucci said about the jewelry thieves, who got away with about $100,000 in stolen goods.

Jewelry dealers are robbed in Burlingame about once a year, Matteucci said.

The victim was robbed at about 11:45 a.m. as he was loading items into the trunk of his car at the Airport Boulevard hotel, Matteucci said.

The dealer, 31, was approached by the two men while a third suspect waited in a getaway car. One of the suspects brandished a small, silver handgun and demanded the dealer’s jewelry. In addition to a bag full of jewelry, the dealer’s watch, cell phone, car keys and miscellaneous document were also taken during the robbery, Matteucci said.

The suspects fled from the area headed north on Bayshore Highway in a silver, 4-door vehicle with paper plates.

The suspect with the gun was described as a white male between 25 and 30 years old, with blonde hair and wearing gray gloves. The other suspect was described as male, unknown race, wearing a black mask, a black hooded sweatshirt and black gloves. There was no suspect description for the third suspect.

The jewelry dealer was not hurt during the robbery.

Jewelry thieves robbed a dealer in Burlingame at the Embassy Suites Hotel in February 2008, getting away with about $300,000 in goods.

A New York jewelry dealer was also robbed of more than $250,000 of property while getting gas in South San Francisco in November of last year. Police said at the time that the crime might be linked to at least one other jewelry robbery last year.

The jewelry dealer was parked at a gas station at 221 Airport Blvd. to get gas just before noon when a dark sedan pulled up with three people inside, South San Francisco police Sgt. Joni Lee said at the time. Two of the three occupants exited the vehicle and smashed the passenger window of the victim’s car, according to South San Francisco police.

They took the jewelry as well as more than $10,000 in cash, a laptop and other personal items, according to police.

Jewelry robberies in the area have been linked to a South American crime syndicate, according to police.

Matteucci said yesterday it would be difficult to track down the suspects since the victim was the only witness and there was no other evidence.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.