Gwinnett County police are seeking two men who broke into the Lilburn home of a jewelry store owner, terrorized the family and stole valuables worth $100,000, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The incident happened about 9 p.m. Monday, police said.
"Two masked men broke in the back door and basically took over the room at gun point,” Cpl. Jake Smith, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, told Channel 2. “They were aware that this family owned and operated a jewelry store.”
The intruders tied up the husband and his elderly mother and then assaulted the man’s wife, police said. The assailants took rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, a Rolex watch and $3,000 cash, according to a police report.
The crime may be the latest incident of home invaders targeting an Indian-American family. Other robberies and burglaries have been reported in Cobb and Gwinnett Counties and the North Fulton cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Roswell.
In December, Roswell police arrested seven men in connection with a home invasion in that city and were investigating whether they might be connected to other robberies.
Police have said they believe thieves zeroed in on Asian Indians because it is customary for their families to possess gold jewelry. Often, that jewelry is handed down from generation to generation or purchased for gifts.
Similar burglaries and robberies targeting Asian Indians have been reported in northern Virginia, central Illinois, Houston and St. Paul, Minn., as well as in the United Kingdom.
-- Staff writer Andria Simmons contributed to this article.
About the Author
