The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is warning of a spike in jewelry thefts after thieves targeted an 87-year-old woman Monday in a La Quinta store parking lot.
According to the Sheriff's Department in a news release, an initial investigation showed the victim was waiting for her husband to exit a store when a Romanian female approached her vehicle and opened the door, removing her ring and necklace.
Although the victim sustained minor injuries during a brief struggle over the jewelry, she declined medical treatment and was released at the scene, the report said.
In the month of February, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has witnessed "an increase in jewelry thefts with similar circumstances" and warns residents to "stay vigilant and report suspicious activity."
Sergeant David Aldrich wrote in the release issued on Wednesday of a pattern employed by the thieves.
"In most cases, vehicles occupied by at least two subjects, will approach patrons in public parking lots and either ask for directions or attempt to sell jewelry," Aldrich said. "When the patron approaches the vehicle, the occupants will use sleight-of-hand techniques to remove the unsuspecting victim’s jewelry, typically leaving behind fake jewelry. If the victims resist, or fights back, force is used to remove the jewelry."
Through the efforts of the Thermal Station Special Investigations Unit, a Romanian woman and man, ages 38 and 39 respectively, were taken into custody without incident and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center for alleged robbery and elder abuse, according to the release.
A major break in the case came in the city of Murrieta, where police apprehended the suspect vehicle containing the 87-year-old woman's jewelry as revealed through a search warrant. The two suspects were booked into John Benoit Detention Center for robbery and elder abuse.
The Sheriff's Department wants anyone with more information on the jewelry theft to call Investigator Glasper at the Thermal Station at 760-863-8950. Anonymous information can be reported through Valley Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.