Published: March 25, 2008 08:59 am      

Snatch and grab

Three suspects take $50,000 in jewelry

Three suspects are still at-large in a jewelry heist Friday night at the Richmond Mall.

Police were called to Samuel’s Jewelry around 8:30 p.m. to investigate the theft of $50,000 worth of merchandise.

Store employees told officers that two black males entered the store and were looking at various items of jewelry.

A short time later, they were joined by a black female who looked at some rings, necklaces and earrings, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, public affairs officer for the Richmond Police Department.

The trio selected several items of jewelry that they were interested in purchasing and asked the clerk to check with the manager to see what kind of deal they could get on the items.

However, when the clerk went to talk to the manager, the three suspects left the store and a tray containing 11 assorted white and yellow gold rings was removed from the display case when the clerk returned, Reardon said.

“The actual merchandise was still in the case,” he said. “Apparently, this was like a snatch and grab-type deal. When the clerk was not visible to the counter they stretched over and grabbed what they could and fled on foot. By the time she got back, they were gone.”

The suspects are described as: a black male, 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 4 inches tall, wearing black pants and a black-hooded sweatshirt; a black male, 6 feet tall, wearing khaki pants, a plaid shirt or jacket and a hat; and a black female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, dressed in all black with flower tattoos across her chest.

“The biggest thing we would suggest for merchants or jewelry stores is to make sure you keep your casings locked so people cannot get access to them unless you’re standing there with them,” Reardon said.

Anyone with information about the heist is asked to call RPD Detective Eric Long at 623-1162 or 623-8911.

Bryan Marshall can be reached at bmarshall@richmondregister.com or 624-6691.