Pico-Robertson watchmaker devastated after being targeted once again by smash-and-grab burglars

A watchmaker in the Pico-Robertson area has been targeted by smash-and-grab burglars multiple times. He speaks with Hal Eisner.

LOS ANGELES - Sledgehammers crashing through glass cabinets and wall cases. It was like deja vu.

It was the third smash-and-grab for Hooshmand Talasazan since the watchmaker moved to Los Angeles 23 years ago from Iran.

He brought his family here from Tehran for a better life. These robberies though have been tough.

First incident, he had no insurance. Now he does.

(FOX 11)

While he slept at home Sunday morning around 4 a.m. Several men in hoodies and face coverings were up to no good at his Pico-Robertson store.

"Sixty to seventy watches, they take from there. All Swiss-made, brand names," he said.

Hooshmand said some of the stolen brands included Longine and Omega. And, from the wall cabinets, they grabbed pocket watches.

"Three people were inside. And, some people wait in the car. They cut the locks, broke the window, and come inside. And, they bagged them up and jumped into the getaway car that brought them here in the first place," the 74-year-old said.

His security installer is Santiago Medina with MCK Technologies.

"This is new age we're living in. People are kind of living off of this stuff nowadays. Looking at the surveillance footage already here it looked like the guys already knew what they were getting themselves into going into each casing," he said.

Given that sledgehammers were used, Medina says Hooshmand was lucky he was home in bed and not in the store when this happened.

Hooshmand was lucky. A whack from that sledgehammer could have killed him.

When we said to him "you didn't get hurt?" he replied, "my heart (was hurt)."

But, his emotionally-hurt-heart was helped by an outpouring of the community's love. A GoFundMe page raised over $50,000 in less than 24 hours. Customers like Lisa Ansell stopped by and offered up a hug.

"I remember what a kind soul he was and my heart is just broken," Ansell said.

Hooshmand says the loss could be north of $100,000 but if insurance covers him.

"If I get the money from insurance I donate this money," Hooshmand vowed.

A religious man, this watchmaker believes that in time, the bad guys will get what's coming to them.

"I'm 100% sure that God makes problem for those people," he said. "God!"

So far, police do not have any suspects. The investigation is continuing.

Those looking to help Hooshmand can click here for more information.