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Capitol Hill shop hit by thieves; thousands of pieces of jewelry stolen

SEATTLE — Two men broke into a newly opened jewelry store in Capitol Hill and stole thousands of dollars in merchandise in four minutes, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Fresh Tangerine's Capitol Hill location opened in June. Owner Kim Kogane showed KIRO 7 surveillance video of Thursday's burglary, which happened at about 5 a.m.

The men gained access to the store by breaking a lock box, according to Kogane. They're seen on video opening the door and putting jewelry in bags.

"It was a devastating loss for sure," says Kogane, "I was just in shock."

The suspects appear to be calm and collected. They aren't rushed as they steal nearly every piece of jewelry from the store.

"They were only here for four minutes and they took more than 2,000 pieces of jewelry," Kogane said.
It was a big hit that came at a bad time.

"We're going into the holiday and it's our busiest time of year," she explains.

Kogane had to pull items from her online inventory and her Pioneer Square store in order to restock the bare shelves. All of her pieces are handmade and they will take time to replace.

"I think that's the hardest part about this whole thing, is the people who took the jewelry didn't really understand exactly what they were taking," Kogane explains, "It doesn't have as much street value as you think. It's really like the heart and soul behind the pieces that mean something to us."

Seattle Police say the suspects could be tied to the burglary of a restaurant on Broadway in Capitol Hill.
Kogane hopes someone recognizes the suspects so another business doesn't have to endure the same thing she did.

"People think they can take what's not theirs, but I'm trying to remain positive," she said.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Seattle Police.

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