Deputies seek man who stole diamond rings at mall

Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies are searching for a man who stole more than $30,000 in diamond engagement rings Sunday afternoon from a jewelry store in Treasure Coast Square mall.

The man walked into Whitehall Jewelers around 5:10 p.m. and asked an employee if he could see some engagement rings, according to a report released Monday.
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As the employee was putting one of the rings back in the display case, the suspect shoved her away. She tried to stop the man by grabbing his shirt, but she was forced to let go when he tried twice to punch her, the report said.

After freeing himself, the suspect grabbed several diamond engagement rings and ran out of the store.

A few shoppers chased him but failed to catch up. They watched him run out of the mall through a fire exit and flee the scene in a white 1995 four-door Buick.

Deputies later checked the license plate number and discovered the vehicle was stolen.
Martin County Fire-Rescue workers treated Jacobson at the scene for neck and back pain. One of the shoppers who followed the suspect also received treatment for a slight cut on his right arm, according to the report.

In the fire escape hallway, deputies found one of the stolen rings, each of which has an engraved serial number. Sheriff's spokeswoman Lt. Jenell Atlas said Monday afternoon the thief still has four rings.

Witnesses said the suspect looked anywhere from 20 to 35 years old, was about 6 feet tall, weighed around 180 pounds and had an athletic build. He was wearing a white short-sleeve shirt with blue and gray stripes, khaki pants, a black dress belt, a white ball cap and black dress shoes.