Pina’s was the first murder in a boom of gold chain robberies in the troubled city.
Robbers have stolen approximately 250 chains since April — more than one every day.
Most of those robberies occur in broad daylight.
“It is an uphill battle,” said Sgt. Larry Parino of the Stockton Police Department.
Reported suspects are predominantly male (98 percent), of which 79 percent are black males ages 13-25, police said, and 9 percent Hispanic males 13-25. The majority of arrests were black males ages 13-25.
Most victims of the robberies are female (65 percent), and 44 percent of victims are age 50 or older, the data showed. The most common time of day for the crimes were between 12 and 5 p.m., though this only accounts for about a third of the crime.
Parino said robbers took even police by surprise initially.
“When [criminals] do these crimes, they normally get rid of the items within 24 hours,” he said.
That’s why police are now checking up on secondhand stores and pawn shops on a weekly basis.
A New Kind of Gold Rush
The value of gold has soared to more than four times its value a decade ago.
Third-generation pawn broker Tim Cassidy, who owns Stockton’s historic Cassidy’s Jewelry and Loan, sees more gold than ever — as many as 50 gold chains a day, he said.
“A simple very small gold chain can easily be sold for $200 or $300,” he said.