Restoration work is underway at Keller's Jewellers in Lantzville, following a Wednesday morning break-in which caused significant damage with thieves making off with an undisclosed number of items.

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

smash and grab

Thieves bust into Lantzville jewelry store during early morning heist

Feb 21, 2024 | 3:48 PM

LANTZVILLE — Restoration crews replaced customers at a Lantzville store following an early morning break-in.

Keller’s Jewellers, located in Lantzville’s village core, was broken into by multiple suspects on Wednesday, Feb 21 at about 3:45 a.m., Nanaimo RCMP reported.

Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien said the alarm of the Lantzville Rd. store rang, sending police to the business.

“Three suspects were seen. Gained entry by breaking the glass front door with a glass breaker. Faces were covered with masks and gloves were worn,” O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW.

A pair of custom-made display cases were smashed and valuables inside swiped.

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O’Brien said the suspects then took took off in a vehicle.

Following the heist, O’Brien said the getaway vehicle was reported to be speeding north along Lantzville Rd., went up Superior Rd. then south onto Hwy. 19.

“We’re hoping the public can assist. That vehicle, an older model dark black or green truck, was racing through Lantzville and there was actually an erratic driver complaint file that came in matching that vehicle, and it was last seen going southbound on the (Island) Highway near the City of Nanaimo sign.”

(L-R) Employee Kristina Mann and owner Joe Keller, along with a resotration worker, were cleaning up the mess at Keller’s Jewellers Wednesday afternoon. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Owner Joe Keller told NanaimoNewsNOW stolen items include prototypes and display jewelry, with all of their highly valued items secured inside in inaccessible safe.

“It’s probably $5 to $6,000 of stuff, but it could be worse if they got into customer repairs, but we secure those, we put them away.”

He noted the thieves were in and out of the store in less than a minute.

In-store security video footage was in the process of being transferred to Nanaimo RCMP as of Wednesday afternoon, Keller said.

“They did more damage than what they got, we just don’t have a lot of live inventory that we keep out, we put it away every night. That’s self preservation I guess you could say.”

Keller expects they’ll re-open on Saturday as restoration work continues.

Anybody with information is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP’s non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote police file number 2024-5551.

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