El Monte jewelry store unsuccessful smash-and-grab robber is identified by police
El Monte police have identified the would-be smash-and-grab robber who was taken down by jewelry store owners last Saturday afternoon.
The department released a mugshot of 36-year-old Joshua Lee Simmons as the person wanted for the Sept. 9 attempted robbery of Meza Jewelry in El Monte.
Dramatic video captured the entire robbery attempt, showing owners of the store fighting off a man trying to steal.
The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. when the suspect entered the shop, pepper-sprayed everyone on the floor and started smashing display cases with a hammer.
In the video, three people can be seen fighting off the suspect, beating him with a stick, forcing him to exit the store, losing his shirt in the process, and running down the street.
Family members from inside the store say the would-be robber was going to use a box to carry out the stolen goods. While he wasn't able to steal anything, the entire ordeal has brought them a world of worry.
"When they tried to chase him outside, he had a gun and like, 'Go back because I'm gonna shoot you guys, I'm gonna kill all of you guys,'" said one of the store's owners, afraid to reveal the identities of her family members due to the violence of the incident. "He said that to my dad and my brother."
The store was littered with broken glass, scattered jewelry and even blood stains left behind by the afternoon struggle.
The El Monte Police Department is asking for help in finding Simmons. Anyone with information can call (626) 580-2100 or (626) 580-2109.
