Teenager Grabs Diamond Ring At Valley Mall; Captured At River

Employees at a Valley jewelry store are holding their trinkets and treasures just a little bit tighter these days.

Last week, staff at Crescent Jewelers watched a customer bolt out of their Spokane Valley Mall store with a $10,000 diamond ring. The young man - who looked about 20, but turned out to be 15 - ran through the mall, out the door, across the northeast parking lot and toward the Spokane River, said Tim Allen, Crescent’s manager-in-training.

The teen had no car, no apparent escape plan and no desire to swim, said Allen, one of about half a dozen men who eventually cornered the suspect at the river. When a mall security officer took the teen into custody, the $10,000 ring was still tucked in his right front pocket.

“We’ve never had this happen before,” said Allen, who had waited on the customer-turned-suspect. “I’ll be a little more alert now.”

The young man walked into Crescent Jewelers about noon last Wednesday. The store was nearly empty. He handed Allen an advertising flyer and pointed to a 14-carat gold baguette diamond ring with a princess-cut center stone.

He wanted to see it.

Despite the person’s youth, Allen didn’t think twice about letting him hold the ring. Young customers have bought expensive rings before, he said. None has ever tried to run away with one. “You want (the customer) to spend time with it, fall in love with it,” Allen said. “He didn’t look like he was nervous. He said he wanted to marry this lady and he wanted a nice ring.”

The ring was on sale for $4,499, but had a retail value of $9,999, Allen said. While the young man looked at the ring, Allen went to his computer to run a credit check on him. The teen then asked Allen if he could have a piece of candy, and began began walking casually towards a candy dish across the room. When Allen looked up, the teen was running out the door.

Allen, along with several store and mall security officers, chased him through J.C. Penney. The suspect ran out the door through the parking lot, crossed Indiana Avenue and headed toward Sullivan Road and the river, sheriff’s deputies said.

Allen said a van almost hit the fleeing teen. The group cornered the young man by the river. A sheriff’s deputy arrested him for first-degree theft, a felony, and transported him to the juvenile detention.

The Spokane teen had also been wanted for thirddegree theft and fourth-degree assault, deputies said.

Allen called the incident “a learning experience.” But, he said, the store won’t change any policies because of it.

“We only take one piece of jewelry out at a time,” he said. “And, we don’t look at anyone with discrimination.”

Still, he admitted, one thing will change. “I’ll definitely hold the rings a little tighter,” Allen said.

, DataTimes