Video released in theft of $54K ring at Daytona Beach store

Daytona Beach police say customer attempted to trick jewelry worker

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Police have released surveillance  video on Monday in the search for a two women who they say replaced a real diamond ring with a fake one at a Volusia County jewelry store.

Police said the women walked into the Volusia Gold and Diamond on 536 W. International Speedway Boulevard and asked the worker to pull out a tray of rings in early August for a closer look for about 10-15 minutes.

"I don't try to be rude to the customers," the clerk, Diane Atkinson, told Local 6. "She said 'Look, I just put drops in my eyes' and she said,' I can't really see it, can you just bring the tray out?' And i told her, 'I can only bring one out at a time .. .and she started getting loud."

Atkinson later discovered a $54,000 4.78 karat diamond ring replaced with a square blue one.

"Well I've been trained to look for empty slots so everything was full," Atkinson said. "I had no reason to question it."

Surveillance footage was released, showing two women talking to the clerk. In the video, one woman pretends to stretch and slips the diamond ring in her purse. The video also shows the women leaving in a dark colored Nissan Armada.

Police said if you recognize the women to contact authorities or submit an anonymous tip.

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Police had previously arrested one woman, but officers contacted the state attorney's office requested charges against her be dropped.

 


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