Two Concord Men Among Four Indicted in $1.7 Million Fremont Jewelry Store Robbery

A federal grand jury has indicted four men (two from Concord) accused of taking part in a brazen robbery of a Fremont jewelry store last summer that authorities say resulted in the theft of approximately $1.7 million in merchandise, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The indictment charges Afatupetaiki Faasisila, 20, of San Bruno; Jose Herrada-Aragon, 20, of Concord; Andres Palestino, 19, of Concord; and Tom Parker Donegan, 19, of Fairfield with one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.

Faasisila and Palestino were arrested Monday and made their initial appearances in federal court Tuesday. Prosecutors said Herrada-Aragon and Donegan are currently in state custody on unrelated charges and will be transferred to federal custody. Court documents state the robbery occurred June 18, 2025, at a jewelry store on Mowry Avenue in Fremont while the business was open. Authorities allege more than two dozen masked individuals participated in the robbery.

Surveillance footage shows a gray Honda being used to ram the front of the store to gain entry, according to prosecutors. Once inside, one suspect allegedly pointed a gun at a security guard while another restrained him and forced him to the ground. Numerous masked suspects then rushed into the store, smashing display cases with hammers and other tools and grabbing jewelry before fleeing in multiple vehicles. Prosecutors allege Donegan drove one of the getaway cars and led police on a pursuit before crashing elsewhere in Fremont. The four suspects then attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended. Police recovered stolen jewelry along the escape route and inside the abandoned vehicle, which had been reported stolen.

Palestino was scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Oakland on Wednesday. Faasisila is set to appear for a detention hearing on Friday. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.