MODESTO, Calif. — Four men have been arrested in connection with a smash-and-grab robbery that occurred at Sai Jewelers in Modesto on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The suspects, including a man from El Cerrito, were apprehended after police used their advanced investigation tools to connect the crime to a stolen vehicle investigation.
At approximately 6:00 p.m., officers responded to a robbery in progress at the jewelry store located at 2900 Standiford Avenue. Authorities say a red Mitsubishi rammed into the store’s front doors, allowing several suspects—wearing hoodies, masks, and gloves—to enter and steal a significant amount of jewelry before fleeing the scene in multiple vehicles.
Just minutes before the robbery call, officers had been investigating a stolen vehicle flagged by the department’s License Plate Reader (LPR) system. During their investigation, officers arrested four individuals and found items inside their vehicle that appeared to be linked to the jewelry store robbery. Further details from the stolen vehicle investigation led detectives to connect the two incidents.
The Modesto Police Department credits its LPR network and citywide camera system for playing a crucial role in identifying and tracking the suspects. The department also discovered that the arrested individuals were connected to similar robberies in Oakland, Alameda County, and Beverly Hills.
The arrested suspects are:
Nasir Blocker, 19, of Oakland, CA
Charges: Robbery, Conspiracy, Stolen Vehicle
Bail: $2,000,000
Anton Crawford, 24, of Oakland, CA
Charges: Robbery, Conspiracy, Stolen Vehicle
Bail: $1,000,000
Gangster Lawson, 24, of El Cerrito, CA
Charges: Robbery, Conspiracy, Vehicle Theft
Bail: $1,000,000
Nehemiah Miller, 21, of Valley Springs, CA
Charges: Robbery, Conspiracy, Vehicle Theft
Bail: $1,000,000
In a statement, the Modesto Police Department commended the work of the patrol officers and detectives, saying, “We are proud of the work done by our patrol officers and detectives whose relentless efforts and commitment to public safety led to these arrests.”
