TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A man who gained the trust of clerks at a Topeka jewelry store by posing for weeks as a shopper turned out to be a thief.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the owners of Calhoun’s Jewelers posted a $1,500 reward on Thursday, one day after the suspect bolted from the store with $32,000 worth of earrings. One pair alone was valued at $12,000.
Co-owner Curt Calhoun says the man began visiting the store before the holidays and even came in on New Year’s Day. On Wednesday, Calhoun says, a clerk was showing the man several sets of earrings when the suspect scooped them up and ran out.
The incident was caught on surveillance video. Authorities hope someone will recognize the man and come forward.
