Kim Tin Jewelry GoFundMe raises over $27,000 as video of the store robbery goes viral, triggering support

A group of burglars targeted Oakland, California-based Kim Tin Jewelry in August, KTVU’s Henry K. Lee reported. Videos of the incident also made their way to social media and soon went viral. One of the clips depicted a Ford truck ramming into the store, before the armed robbers stole the jewelry. 

After the smash-and-grab incident, Jason Dao, the store owner’s son, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser with a goal of $30,000 to support his father. The campaign has raised over $27,000 within a few weeks of the accident. Talking about the impact of robbery, he mentioned: 

“We are incredibly lucky that my dad survived and that he was the only one in the building. But he has been left injured, shaken, and deeply traumatized from this incident, and the store has been destroyed beyond repair.”

Burglars ram Ford work truck into Kim Tin jewelry store in Oakland’s Little Saigon near 7th & International - while it was open - invade business while armed w/guns & escape w/jewelry. @oaklandpoliceca investigating pic.twitter.com/yxI7jbSl9Y

— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) August 19, 2025

Jason revealed that his father took over as the sole owner of Kim Tin Jewelry earlier this year, and the store had been open for barely six months. He continued: 

“Now, he has nothing - no safety net, no livelihood, and no tools to begin rebuilding. The store's insurance will not cover anything from this catastrophic event, so he is left with no way to recover on his own. He doesn’t yet know if he can reopen, though he has no other way to support himself.”

Jason Dao encouraged everyone to contribute and help his father recover from the traumatic incident. He asserted that the funds will go towards paying off the rent, medical care, and other bills. 

Jason Dao also shared a video in August recounting the robbery at Kim Tin Jewelry

The son of the Oakland jewelry store owner has launched a fundraiser to help him after the devastating incident. Jason Dao, who launched the GoFundMe for his dad, also spoke in a TikTok video, published last month:

“This past Monday, on August 18, my dad's jewelry store, Kim Jewelry, was devastated by a violent robbery. My dad is a 53-year-old Vietnamese immigrant and a father of two. He's an honest, hardworking man and he's dedicated decades to his craft.” 

Jason spoke about how his dad has built an excellent reputation among his customers in the Bay Area. He further recounted the smash-and-grab incident that happened last month. 

Jason revealed that his father was returning after his lunch break when at least eight armed robbers crashed a stolen truck through the building. They reportedly blocked the entrance with the vehicle. 

He shared how the assailants trapped his dad inside the building, who was injured and held at gunpoint, while the attackers robbed the Oakland store. 

A Kim Tin Jewelry-like smash-and-grab incident also devastated Kim Hung Jewelry in San Jose 

Weeks after the burglary in Oakland, a group of unidentified robbers attacked another store in San Jose. According to KGO-TV, the police confirmed that the 88-year-old store owner, who reportedly suffered a stroke, was assaulted during the robbery, which was also captured on CCTV. 

A family friend later told the press (via KGO-TV):

“He is OK, business is not OK. Everyone knows that situation right now. Every business is in danger.” 

At the same time, another friend spoke (via KGO-TV): 

“It's not my business, but I'm very scared, I'm very angry," the store owner's friend said. "It's what happened to the people in California, in San Jose, everywhere in the United States. It's not good. It's not safe.” 

The footage later went viral and displayed a vehicle crashing into the shop, quite akin to the robbery at Kim Tin Jewelry heist. The attackers were also seen assaulting the owner before they escaped. Per the San Jose Police Department, no arrests have been made yet.