DNA from Blood Left at Crime Scene Leads to Arrest in $1 Million Irvine Jewelry Robbery

Nearly a year after a violent smash-and-grab robbery at an Irvine jewelry store, investigators have arrested one of the suspects. The breakthrough in the cold case came after forensic teams successfully isolated DNA from a small amount of blood left behind on a shattered display case at the scene of the crime.

The Sledgehammer Robbery at Park Place

On July 31, 2023, a group of three masked men entered the Jewels By Alan boutique located in the Park Place shopping center near Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive. Using sledgehammers, the perpetrators smashed glass display cases and gathered high-end jewelry, watches, and diamonds. In less than two minutes, the thieves made off with an estimated $900,000 to $1,000,000 worth of merchandise before fleeing in a getaway vehicle. During the chaotic heist, one of the robbers cut himself on the jagged edge of a broken display glass, leaving behind a trace of blood that would ultimately prove to be their undoing.

Forensic Match Leads to Arrest

Detectives from the Irvine Police Department preserved the blood sample and submitted it for DNA profiling. The profile was run through national databases, eventually generating a match. On July 2, 2024, officers arrested 21-year-old Jaylon Amori Strickland of Long Beach at the Compton Parole Office. Strickland was booked into the Orange County Jail on felony robbery charges. Authorities confirmed that Strickland was on parole at the time of the offense.

Search for Accomplices Continues

While Strickland’s arrest marks a major victory for local law enforcement, the investigation remains far from over. Irvine Police are actively working leads to identify the remaining two accomplices who participated in the smash-and-grab. Anyone with information regarding the heist is encouraged to contact the Irvine Police Department's robbery unit.