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West Vancouver thieves steal $800,000 in jewelry

Thieves with a taste for high-end shiny valuables have made off with heirloom jewelry worth about $800,000 in West Vancouver.

Thieves with a taste for high-end shiny valuables have made off with heirloom jewelry worth about $800,000 in West Vancouver.

 A 2.5-carat round yellow diamond is among the high-end haul that thieves recently made off with in West Vancouver. Photo courtesy Crime StoppersA 2.5-carat round yellow diamond is among the high-end haul that thieves recently made off with in West Vancouver. Photo courtesy Crime Stoppers

Thieves broke into a home in the 3000 block of Mathers Avenue March 3 and made off with luxury jewels including an 18-karat white gold ring with a 2.5-carat round yellow diamond as well as a Cartier Pasha Seatimer watch.

Many of the items were distinctive, said police, including a nurse’s pin with “Joubert” on the back.

Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department, called the jewel heist “very substantial.”

But, he added, it’s not unprecedented for West Vancouver residents to have pricey jewelry in their homes – something thieves are also aware of. A year ago, in February 2018, thieves in West Vancouver made off with a $500,000 Tiffany sapphire and diamond ring from a home in the 500 block of Eastcot Road in the British Properties, along with a gold and diamond necklace and two Vacheron Constantin gold watches.

In the most recent jewel heist, thieves used a large landscaping ladder to climb up to the second floor of the home at about 7:30 p.m. It’s one of a rash of recent break-ins in West Vancouver where thieves have used ladders to climb up to the upper floors of homes.

Palmer stressed that if residents have jewelry of exceptional monetary or sentimental value, they should consider storing them off-site, in a safety deposit box. “Perhaps home storage is not the most secure location,” he said.

The investigation into the theft is ongoing.  Anyone with information is asked to report it to Crime Stoppers anonymously, 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca. A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for info leading to charges. Alternatively, contact WVPD directly at 604-925-7300.