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Officers Chase Down Beacon Hill Jewelry Thief

Police arrested a man after he tried a ‘smash and grab’ jewelry heist at a Beacon Hill pawn shop Thursday afternoon.

Officers were called by pawn shop employees who recognized the suspect from a Tuesday jewelry theft at the same location in the 2800 block of Rainier Ave South. In the Tuesday afternoon incident, the suspect tore a necklace off the neck of another customer as she tried it on. Officers searched for, but were unable to find the suspect in Tuesday’s theft.

As officers were driving to the pawn shop on Thursday, the suspect smashed the jewelry cases inside the store, grabbed the loot, and ran from the store with employees giving chase. Officer Jacob Nelson pursued the suspect for several blocks and through a transit center. Officer Nelson caught up to the suspect while Detectives Jones and Deese arrested the man locating all of the jewelry he had stolen during the Thursday’s ‘smash and grab’, as well as the necklace from Tuesday’s theft.

Detectives interviewed the 19-year-old man and booked him into King County Jail on two counts of investigation of theft.