Police are investigating a brazen jewelry heist in Jersey City. Officials say it happened around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Hudson Mall.

The owner of the jewelry kiosk tells News 12 that he was on his lunch break in the kiosk when a person smashed the display case and grabbed two handfuls of gold necklaces.

"I saw this guy checking around so I didn’t pay any attention because I didn’t know what he was going to do,” says the owner, who did not wish to be identified. “Then suddenly, he just grabbed a rock from his pocket and smashed the glass."

The owner says that the merchandise was worth between $12,000 and $15,000.

The kiosk has several surveillance cameras that captured the incident. Police are now looking at the footage.

The owner says that he’s had the jewelry stand for 24 years and says nothing this brazen has ever happened before.

"Grabbed from my hand and ran away, but this is the first time somebody smashed my glass,” the owner says.

The owner says that not only is the surveillance video now in police custody, but so is the rock the suspect used and they’re hoping to lift fingerprints.