A mob of nearly two dozen masked raiders stripped a California jewellery store of more than three-quarters of its entire stock in little over a minute, in a meticulously coordinated heist that has only now come to public attention after federal prosecutors released footage of the raid.
The attack on Kumar Jewelers in Fremont took place in June 2025, but the US Department of Justice kept the footage under wraps until recent court proceedings brought the case into the open. What the video shows is a military-style operation: a fleet of cars pulling up to the store before a stolen Honda was driven directly into the shopfront, breaching the entrance and triggering a frenzied 70-second looting spree.
Armed with pickaxes and hammers, the hooded gang smashed through glass display cases and filled rucksacks with gold, diamonds and other jewellery valued at approximately $1.7 million. Two armed members of the group held a security guard at gunpoint throughout, ensuring he could not intervene until the last raider had cleared the premises. The getaway cars then scattered in multiple directions — a deliberate tactic that immediately complicated the police response.
Officers on the scene were faced with an impossible choice. As federal prosecutors noted in court filings reported by the East Bay Times, police were “forced to decide which car to pursue” and gave chase to a black Acura. The pursuit that followed was dangerous, with the vehicle reaching speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour, crossing into oncoming traffic and running stop signs through residential streets. The car eventually crashed, and four men were arrested after a foot chase.
Those charged are Afatupetaiki Faasisila, 20, of San Bruno; Jose Herrada-Aragon, 20, of Concord; Andres Palestino, 19, of Concord; and Tom Parker Donegan, 19, of Fairfield. All four now face a federal indictment. Two of the defendants, Faasisila and Palestino, have been released pending the outcome of the case. No further arrests have been made in connection with the Fremont raid.
Federal prosecutors believe the attack may not have been an isolated incident. They have drawn a connection between the Fremont robbery and a separate raid three months later at Heller Jewelers in San Ramon, where another $1.7 million in jewellery was stolen using similar methods. That case has progressed further through the courts, with 19 people either charged or convicted, and two men found guilty last month of conspiracy and robbery.
