Burglars strike in South Bay, steal jewelry when no one is home

San Jose - An investigation is underway in the South Bay after a frightening series of home break-ins in which burglars have made off with jewelry after targeting homes of residents who are away.

Surveillance shows four men, many wearing "Nike" clothing, skulking around homes in San Jose.

Mayank Agarwal believes the same crew broke into his home in the Almaden neighborhood on Thursday night while he and his family were in Lake Tahoe. He says he watched the episode unfold from security images from his phone.

"We saw this gang of four men in mostly Nike hoodies pull up to our house, very confidently," Agarwal said. 

They walked into the backyard.

"After they scoped out the property, that there's no one home, all lights are off, they shattered the side patio door," Agarwal said.

Within four minutes, the group ransacked the master bedroom closet, stealing jewelry, watches and clothing. 

"We lost more than upwards of $100,000, easily," Agarwal said.

Police are trying to determine if the same group broke into another home in San Jose's Evergreen neighborhood in January. Security videos shows them disabling a camera.

Even as an alarm sounded, they stole $250,000 in jewelry and valuables, while Sivaram Nayudu and his family were in Texas.

"They emptied all of the jewelry chests and two bags worth of jewelry and diamonds," Nayudu said. "They were in and out within eight minutes."

Victims in San Jose and Los Gatos have been comparing notes and counting their blessings.

"We are thankful that we weren't at home and we were not in harm's way, but we feel violated," Agarwal said. "We have lost not just a lot of valuables, but our peace of mind."

Anyone with information is asked to call San Jose or Los Gatos police.