--- title: "Thieves Steal $10M in Jewels From ‘Unattended’ Brink’s Truck at Flying J Truck Stop" description: "After two Brink's drivers left their truck unattended, thieves broke the lock and stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry." date: "2022-07-19" modified: "2022-07-19" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/thieves-steal-10m-in-jewels-from-unattended-brinks-truck-at-remote-flying-j-truck-stop" categories: - "Culture" - "News" --- # Thieves Steal $10M in Jewels From ‘Unattended’ Brink’s Truck at Flying J Truck Stop ![]() In [movies](), whenever thieves want to rob an armored truck, there’s always some elaborate, 17-point plan that involves months of strategizing, perfect timing, and incredibly good luck. There are usually some fake mustaches, a couple of nerve-racking moments, and a comic relief character that almost blows the whole heist on a foolish mistake. In reality, thieves in Los Angeles just stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from a Brink's tractor-trailer by simply waiting for the drivers to walk into a Flying J. The Brink's truck in question was traveling overnight from the International Gem and Jewelry Show in San Mateo, California, to another event in Los Angeles. According to a report from The *[Associated Press]()*, the drivers of the truck stopped at the Flying J truck stop around 2 a.m. July 11 and left the armored vehicle completely unattended. It’s currently unclear how long they were gone but it was enough for thieves to bust the lock on the trailer and steal all of the jewelry. Neither the sheriff's department nor the FBI knows how they broke the lock but both agencies are currently investigating. They also don’t know if the [thieves ]()were following the truck for its entire journey or if they just happened to stumble upon it. It also seems a bit odd to authorities that a truck carrying such valuable merchandise would only have a single lock. ![]() *Via Google Maps* “If I had that much money in jewelry, I think I would have the most secure lock on it,” Los Angeles Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Mileski told the *Associated Press*. The jewels that were stolen belonged to 18 different vendors and Brink's is going to reimburse them for the value lost. But there’s a big discrepancy between the claimed value of the jewels and what the owners actually insured them for. “According to the information the customers provided to us before they shipped their items, the total value of the missing items is less than $10 million,” Brink’s said in a public statement. “We are working with law enforcement, and we will fully reimburse our customers for the value of their assets that were stolen, in accordance with the terms of our contract.” However, the customers claim the total value of all the jewels is actually over $100 million. According to Brandy Swanson, director of the International Gem and Jewelry Show, many vendors drastically underinsure the value of their products because they can’t afford to fully insure them. “That’s where the discrepancy comes in. These are mom-and-pop operators,” Swanson told *AP*. “They’re devastated. Some of these people have lost their entire livelihoods.” Authorities are checking local business security cameras to find the thieves, though even if they do, the vendors could still be out millions of dollars in jewelry that was unfortunately underinsured. ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()