After break-in, life is returning to normal at Gerster Jewlers

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The glass is back in the front door at Gerster Jewelers, but inside there is still work to do following an April 19 break-in. As of Tuesday morning there was still no glass in the front of the counter display cases, and store owner Jim Gerster said he is still ordering merchandise to replace what was taken.

Gerster expected to have new glass in place by Tuesday or Wednesday.

One or more people broke into the store around 10:30 p.m. April 19. They smashed the front door and most of the display cases. Police were notified by an alarm company and were at the store within four minutes, but they found nobody there.

Farmington police detective Lee Hollatz said police have not found any witnesses to the break in. Hollatz believes the Gerster burglary is related to at least six or seven similar incidents around the state in recent days. Farmington police are working with those other agencies, but Hollatz said the investigation is still in its beginning stages.

While the store’s most expensive items and everything left by customers was locked in a safe, Gerster estimated the value of the loss at between $60,000 and $100,000.

“That little stuff adds up quicker than I ever imagined,” Gerster said.

This is a particularly bad time for a jewelry store to be short on merchandise. Gerster said Mother’s Day is his busiest time of year other than Christmas. He’s doing everything he can, though, to keep things running like they usually do. The store’s floor, which was littered with glass after the break in, has been vacuumed over and over to make sure all the shards are gone. The display cases have been cleaned out and are ready for new merchandise.

“I think that’s why so many people come in and don’t even know anything happened,” Gerster said. Half the people coming in haven’t even noticed the glass is gone.”

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