Investigators Say Child Was Used as Part of a Distraction Scheme
The LAPD is searching for a man and woman accused of stealing a $20,000 ring from a jewelry store inside the Westfield Century City mall, using what investigators describe as a distraction-style theft, as reported by KTLA 5 News.
The incident took place on the evening of April 9 at U Los Angeles Jewelry. Surveillance footage captured the pair allegedly working together to divert the attention of a store employee while carrying out the theft, using their child as an additional way to distract the clerk’s attention.
According to the store’s owner, the couple entered the shop around 7:00 p.m., accompanied by a young girl, and began browsing the display cases while asking to see various pieces of jewelry. Security video shows the female suspect standing at a counter, appearing to examine several necklaces alongside the employee. In the background, the male suspect can be seen engaging the worker in conversation.
As the employee turns her head to respond to the man, the woman appears to quickly remove an expensive ring from the display case. Footage shows her concealing the item by brushing her hands through her hair before discreetly placing it into her purse.
The store employee, who asked not to be identified, told KTLA that the couple used the child as a decoy. The young girl moved around the store, prompting repeated warnings from the woman, further distracting the staff.
“The kid was definitely, like, running around to where the mom was saying, ‘Stop, stop, stop,’ so that’s throwing me off. I don’t want the kid running around, getting hurt, things of that nature,” stated the store employee.
