OGDEN — In broad daylight as shoppers walked pass the Morgan Jewelers entrance at Newgate Mall, two men stole 60 to 70 pieces of jewelry in what police are calling a “brazen” theft.
Two men, who appeared to know exactly what they were doing, took less than two minutes to cut the top part of a glass case and leave the store with the expensive loot. The theft occurred around 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the mall, 3651 Wall Ave.
Police are now searching for the men, described as black, in their 30s, and wearing dark jackets and golf caps.
“It was pretty brazen,” said Police Lt. Will Cragun.
In a surveillance video released Friday, the two men are seen walking into the store while the clerk walks to the back.
Detective Tim Scott said police questioned the clerk and “we have no concerns. The clerk may have been telephoning the police at that time.”
One of the robbers can be seen on the video, taking several steps toward the clerk, then going back to where his partner is near the display case. The men cut the sealant around the glass on the case, then popped out the glass.
The video shows the two stopping their work on the display case when people walk past the store. None of the passerby seems to pay attention to the men.
After the glass was removed from the case, the men scooped up jewelry, lifted out an entire tray and dumped numerous items into a shopping bag. Then they walked out of the store.
The men were seen leaving the Newgate Mall parking lot in a red or maroon vehicle.
“We are investigating who (the men) are,” Cragun said.
Scott said this type of robbery has been done before. A husband-and-wife team pulled off a similar heist several years ago in a nearby state, although Scott was unsure in which state it was.
Police are contacting surrounding states to see if similar incidents have been reported recently, Scott said. It is common for thieves to travel from one state to another, committing similar types of crimes.
Calls to Morgan Jewelry management for a comment were not immediately returned.
“We would appreciate any tip we can get about these men from the general public,” Scott said.
Anyone with information about the Morgan Jewelers theft is asked to call the Ogden Police Department at 801-395-8221.
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