This jc penney store is, i believe, one story and is free standing, not in an enclosed mall and 2 stories like the other store here is.
JC Penney jewelry theft part of string of heists
Jeff Moore • jeffmoore@theadvertiser.com • August 20, 2009
A large amount of jewelry was stolen during a burglary of JC Penney on Louisiana Avenue on Wednesday, the latest in a string of sophisticated heists at JC Penney stores throughout the country.
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Burglars gained entry through the roof of the store late Tuesday or early Wednesday, said Lafayette Police Department Cpl. Paul Mouton.
They smashed several jewelry counters and took a large amount of jewelry before leaving the store, he said.
Employees discovered the burglary after arriving for work at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
The store was closed Wednesday, but it was scheduled to re-open this morning.
The burglary comes just three days after another JC Penney store near Covington was hit.
During that incident, burglars took more than $1.5 million in jewelry and other merchandise after cutting into the roof and lowering themselves into the store.
The thieves in the Covington burglary are believed to be connected with a group that has hit three other branches of the department store around the country.
A store in Indianapolis was burglarized in June and stores in Pasadena, Texas, and Roseburg, Texas, were hit in July, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office.
JC Penney spokesman Tim Lyons said the company feels the burglaries are related.
Losses have been "substantial" in all of the incidents, he said.
"We've taken a pretty big hit," he said. "We're working to recover whatever we can."
Mouton said Lafayette detectives are working with authorities in Covington in attempt to solve the case.
