Jewelry theft suspects steal ring here, caught on video there

Surveillance photo from McArthur Jewelers in St. George shows suspects in JK Jewelers theft of Aug. 18, 2014, St. George, Utah, photos undated | Photos courtesy of Kristy Goodrich, verified as suspects by St. George Police Department; St. George News

ST. GEORGE – A man walked into JK Jewelers, 720 S. River Road in St. George, Monday afternoon pretending to shop for an engagement ring, then fled from the store with a ring in hand and drove away with another man.

Two men caught on surveillance video by McArthur Jewelers are  believed by St. George Police detectives to be the JK Jewelry theft suspects.

JK Jewelers storefront in St. George, Utah, Aug. 19, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
JK Jewelers storefront in St. George, Utah, Aug. 19, 2014 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

St. George Police responded to JK Jewelers when the store owner reported the theft at 4:15 p.m. Monday. The thief asked to look at one specific ring, police Sgt. Sam Despain said, and when he got it in his hand he just ran out the door, jumped in a car with the other man and drove away.

“It is believed that the two have been seen at other jewelry stores in St. George,” Despain said.

Although JK Jewelers is the only store to report a theft, two men caught on surveillance video at McArthur Jewelers are believed to be the suspects in the JK Jewelers theft.

Kristy Goodrich, owner of JK Jewelers, said the ring the man took was actually a fake. He misunderstood when she was explaining to him the cost range to make the ring.

“The funny part of it is they stole a fake  a prototype, a sample; it was a fake,” Goodrich said. “… It’s silver, cubic zirconia and maybe not worth $40. He asked me how much it would be to make that ring and the range I gave him was between $9,000 and $11,000. He said, ‘This is worth nine and 11 thousand dollars?’ And that’s when he turned and ran.”

The moment he walked through the door, Goodrich said she knew he was there to steal something.

“I’ve been doing this for 17 years,” she said. “When that guy said he was there to look at engagement rings, that was not him; this was not your typical engagement ring shopper.”

Goodrich said she immediately started memorizing the details of the man’s tattoos and noting his description. She said she did not see a weapon, though she doesn’t know for sure whether he was armed. She said he did not dress or behave in a way one would expect of someone carrying a weapon.

Surveillance photo from MacArthur Jewelers in St. George shows suspects in JK Jewelers theft of Aug. 18, 2014, St. George, Utah, photos undated | Photos courtesy of Kristy Goodrich, verified as suspects by St. George Police Department; St. George News
Surveillance photo from McArthur Jewelers in St. George shows suspects in the JK Jewelers theft of Aug. 18, 2014, St. George, Utah, photos undated | Photos courtesy of Kristy Goodrich, verified as suspects by St. George Police Department; St. George News

After ensuring her own safety and calling the police, Goodrich made calls to other jewelers in the area to alert them; and that is when she learned that McArthur Jewelers had been watching the men since Thursday, she said.

“He needs to be caught,” Goodrich said. “He needs money and is going to steal something somewhere else when he finds out he stole a fake. He needs money.”

St. George Police provided the following description of the suspects:

The man who stole the ring

  • Race                        Caucasian
  • Height                    5 feet, 10 inches tall
  • Clothing                 Blue and red plaid shirt, white baseball cap with Ohio logo (maybe a football team logo for University of Ohio)
  • Tattoos:
    • On his knuckles – DRUG FREE (one word on each hand)
    • On his neck – Jessica
    • On one of his arms – 3-3 1/2-inch-high capital letter Y
    • On one of his hands – A cross between his thumb and index finger

The getaway driver

  • Race                        Caucasian
  • Hair                        Brown or black beard
  • Weight                   Heavyset, heavier than the man who stole the ring

Anyone with any information about this theft or these suspects is asked to call the St. George Police Department at 435-627-4300. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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2 Comments

  • Koolaid August 19, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    What a novel way to get your fiance an engagement ring! Will it fit the fat man’s finger or did he size it first? Will this be their breakup when they both become girlfriends of someone else in jail?

  • Ynot August 19, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    I can’t believe it ! Looks like Kooklaid is softening up a bit. This one isn’t as full of hate as most of It’S posts. IT must have Said IT’S prayers and paid IT’S tithing!!

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