LYNNWOOD, Wash. — “It was our most expensive item in the store at the time.”
A $1,200 gold ring with a Freemasonry symbol and ruby was stolen last week from Bella’s Voice, a thrift store in Lynnwood.
On December 12, the thief was caught on surveillance video trying to open a locked jewelry case.
Bella’s Voice Executive Director Jordan Hoffman-Nelson says the man asked an employee to see the ring, then took it and started to walk away.
“He’s all, ‘I’m going to go buy it right now’ – but instead of walking to our registers, he walked to the door and the supervisor was standing in between the door and him and she said ‘hey give me back our merchandise’ and he started yelling at her not to touch him and he said ‘don’t touch me, don’t touch me’ and shoved her out of the way and then ran,” said Hoffman-Nelson.
She says employees later realized the same guy was in the store three weeks earlier, going behind the same jewelry case, which at that time was unlocked, and grabbed a $1,100 locket, then calmly walked out seconds later.
“He got away with it because no one caught him and that’s why he was able to come in the second time,” said Hoffman-Nelson.
It’s a tough loss for Bella’s Voice, which recently moved to a new location, raising money to help rescued animals and the non-profit’s pet food bank.
“It’s just pretty upsetting and it just takes money from the animals takes away from our mission,” said Hoffman-Nelson.
This is also changing the way the thrift store does business.
Now, items worth more than $200 will be posted online, instead of on display in the store.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.
©2024 Cox Media Group
