Duval County

’Violated’: Thief caught stealing $12,000 dollars’ worth of jewelry at Jacksonville store

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville business is asking for the public’s help to identify a man caught stealing nearly $12,000 worth of jewelry at their store in San Marco.

Surveillance video shows the man wearing all black with a tan hat. His first time in the store was Wednesday morning. The video shows him wandering around the store and asking the clerk about rings. He leaves empty-handed.

About three hours later, the same man is back in the store. Again, he is seen wandering around the store, specifically looking at rings locked in a glass shelf.

The video shows him speaking with a clerk about rings. She later told Action News Jax he asked about two rings for his girlfriend and one for himself.

Surveillance video showed him reaching over the counter, grabbing an item and putting it in his pocket. The clerk said she didn’t know it at the time, but later found out he stole a diamond tester.

She said she continued to show him the three rings he requested to see. Once she noticed the diamond tester was missing, she said she was going to call the police.

“That’s when he looked at her and said, ‘Well, you can call them on me too,’ grabbed the three rings and out the door he went,” Director of Operations Kristi Vincent said.

Vincent told Action News Jax the three rings add up to nearly $12,000. The store filed a police report with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

“It makes you angry,” Vincent said. “We’re all working hard. The manager that was there that day works for every penny, and you almost feel violated when someone does that, just grabs your things and runs out the door.”

The store owners are asking anyone with information to call police. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call the First Coast Crime Stoppers at 904-398-3775.