Thieves get away with diamonds from Mishawaka jewelry store

Police say thieves walked into the Jared's Galleria of Jewelry at University Park Mall, scoped the place out for 45 minutes, and reached behind the jewelry case to take two diamonds. The entire crime was caught on surveillance cameras. Police say the three suspects cased out two other jewelry stores. Their suspicious behavior there raised a red flag. Two men and a woman walked around these stores and set their coats down on the jewelry counter. Inside two stores, the distraction did not work. But that wasn't the case, Monday at Jared's. Now the search is on for those suspects. They stole three carats worth of diamonds valued in the thousands of dollars. WSBT spoke with an employee of one of the stores the thieves had scoped out before hitting Jared’s. In order to protect her identity, WSBT won’t identify her. She says the thieves’ didn’t approach their crime like a smash and grab job. “It's not like the movies,” she said. “They are waiting on you to make a mistake.” This worker from another local jewelry store says most thefts are a crime of opportunity. And the thieves did not find it when they visited two other stores, hours before targeting Jared's. “It was really strange,” she said. “They walked through the door. They took off their coats and dispersed on the floor.” Immediately, red flags went off. Something wasn't quite right. “Generally, when they come in they will come in for what they are here for, and not scoping out everybody else who is behind the cases,” she said. “They were specifically going for the biggest rings in the case. It's kind of odd. People generally flinch at prices.” While police continue their investigation and search for the three suspects, local stores say they will continue to keep a watchful eye. Police are looking for two men, both African American. One suspect is 6’2”, weighing 240 pounds. They were last seen driving a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee. Police say both men were with a white female.