The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s office wants to make area students are aware that wearing expensive gold necklaces to school can be risky.

“There is a pervasive fashion trend, specifically among young males, of wearing high-end gold necklaces or chains,” said Deputy District Attorney Patrick Hogan. “And there are individuals who recognize that wearing a gold necklace makes someone an easy target.”

Hogan said a recent spate of robberies in Modesto have been perpetrated in associated with criminal street gangs. And while current reports have been limited to the city of Modesto, he wants people throughout the county to be aware of the potential for criminal activity.

“We’ve seen several incidents involving assaults, and in a few cases, we believe that firearms were used in the robberies,” said Hogan. “But because of the work of local law enforcement, we’ve had several of these crews arrested and dismantled. And we remain focused on using all the tools we have available to us.”

The price of gold currently sits at around $4,600 per troy ounce, making the resale of gold jewelry extremely lucrative.

“Some bad people make look at you and see you as a target,” said Hogan. “Our advice is to be very careful.”

Hogan also advised against attempting to fight back in an effort to save your property.

“There is no property that is worth losing your life,” said Hogan, who pointed out that these types of robberies often go unreported due to the embarrassment felt by the victims.

“It’s just not worth the risk.”