By Jordan Friedman The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Police are searching for a man who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from an antique store in Oakwood earlier this month and walks with an unusual wobbling or swaying, according to the Oakwood Police Department.
A short man entered Aardvark Antiques on Mundy Mill Road on both March 8 and 9, according to investigator Danny Sridej. On the first day, he made conversation with employees and determined the location of the store’s cameras. He returned the following night after the store closed to steal several valuable items, including rings and an antique watch, Sridej said.
Store owner Charles Pharr told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the items are valued at more than $30,000. He described the man as walking “kind of like a penguin.”
After first entering the store on March 8 at around 1 p.m., the man “must have made 10 trips to the jewelry counter” to make it seem as though he was viewing a large piece of art beside it, which he photographed, said Pharr, who has viewed footage of the suspect and discussed the incident with colleagues in the store at the time.
Pharr said the man repeatedly glanced at the security monitor in the store, and then unlocked the latch of a roll-up door in the back area and exited.
The next night at around 8:10 p.m., after closing time, Pharr said, the man allegedly re-entered the store through the roll-up door and cut wires in a power switch box to try to disable the store’s security camera system. But the cameras remained functional, and footage shows the jewelry gradually disappearing as the man ducked down behind the counter and grabbed the items, according to Pharr.
Among the stolen items, Sridej said, were antique rings, gold bracelets with diamonds and an antique watch.
This was the first time such an incident has happened at the store, and “this guy knew what he was doing,” Pharr said.
The roll-up door is usually checked to make sure it is locked but wasn’t the the day of the reported theft, he said.
Pharr added that he has since ordered a new, top-notch, wireless security system for Aardvark Antiques. At first, he didn’t plan on telling anybody about the incident.
“I didn’t want it to make our business seem as if it’s an unsecure place,” Pharr said. “But now it will be as secure as ever.”
Sridej said the man was careful not to leave prints.
“We’re hoping a citizen or bystander might recognize him from the photographs,” Sridej said, or that somebody sees the stolen items if they are sold online or at a pawn shop.
The man is described as white, between 180 and 210 pounds and likely in his early 50s, and between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall. Sridej said he also has a “pudgy belly.”
Those with information are encouraged to call (770) 534-2364. The antique store is offering a $1,000 reward for anybody with information that leads to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
Source: www.ajc.com
Police are searching for a man who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from an antique store in Oakwood earlier this month and walks with an unusual wobbling or swaying, according to the Oakwood Police Department.
A short man entered Aardvark Antiques on Mundy Mill Road on both March 8 and 9, according to investigator Danny Sridej. On the first day, he made conversation with employees and determined the location of the store’s cameras. He returned the following night after the store closed to steal several valuable items, including rings and an antique watch, Sridej said.
Store owner Charles Pharr told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the items are valued at more than $30,000. He described the man as walking “kind of like a penguin.”
After first entering the store on March 8 at around 1 p.m., the man “must have made 10 trips to the jewelry counter” to make it seem as though he was viewing a large piece of art beside it, which he photographed, said Pharr, who has viewed footage of the suspect and discussed the incident with colleagues in the store at the time.
Pharr said the man repeatedly glanced at the security monitor in the store, and then unlocked the latch of a roll-up door in the back area and exited.
The next night at around 8:10 p.m., after closing time, Pharr said, the man allegedly re-entered the store through the roll-up door and cut wires in a power switch box to try to disable the store’s security camera system. But the cameras remained functional, and footage shows the jewelry gradually disappearing as the man ducked down behind the counter and grabbed the items, according to Pharr.
Among the stolen items, Sridej said, were antique rings, gold bracelets with diamonds and an antique watch.
This was the first time such an incident has happened at the store, and “this guy knew what he was doing,” Pharr said.
The roll-up door is usually checked to make sure it is locked but wasn’t the the day of the reported theft, he said.
Pharr added that he has since ordered a new, top-notch, wireless security system for Aardvark Antiques. At first, he didn’t plan on telling anybody about the incident.
“I didn’t want it to make our business seem as if it’s an unsecure place,” Pharr said. “But now it will be as secure as ever.”
Sridej said the man was careful not to leave prints.
“We’re hoping a citizen or bystander might recognize him from the photographs,” Sridej said, or that somebody sees the stolen items if they are sold online or at a pawn shop.
The man is described as white, between 180 and 210 pounds and likely in his early 50s, and between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall. Sridej said he also has a “pudgy belly.”
Those with information are encouraged to call (770) 534-2364. The antique store is offering a $1,000 reward for anybody with information that leads to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
Source: www.ajc.com