Crime & Safety

Updated: Police Ask for Help in Leo Diamond Robbery

A man suspected in similar incidents in East Point and Snellville may be responsible for the Halloween night jewelry store incident in Cartersville.

Updated Tuesday, Nov. 5

Cartersville Police Department Chief Tommy Culpepper is asking for the public's help in identifying the man behind the Halloween robbery at Kay Jewelers.

Authorities say the African-American man—who is about 5-foot-11-inches tall with a thin build and was wearing black jeans, a white T-shirt, a black jacket and square-framed glasses—was seen leaving in a silver, four-door sedan. 

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"This appears to be the same suspect who had recently committed similar crimes at two other Kay Jewelers located in East Point and Snellville," officials said in a release. "In those incidents the suspect also asked to see a 1-carat Leo diamond ring and fled once he had possession of the ring."

At the other stores, the man, who said his name was "Mike," told clerks he wanted to get engaged before Thanksgiving. The car in which he left appeared to be a silver Nissan Sentra in both incidents.

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Anyone with information concerning these incidents is asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 770-387-5690.

Original Report

As trick-or-treaters stopped along the shops in Cartersville's Target shopping center on Halloween night, a man suddenly snatched a Leo Diamond from Kay Jewelers.

The African-American man, who is about 25 years old and is suspected in similar thefts, asked to see, then hold a 1-carat Leo Diamond, according to the Cartersville Police Department report. An employee became suspicious of him during the 6:30 p.m. incident.

She recognized the man with "very thick eyebrows" from an email containing a photo of the suspect in other "snatch-and-grabs." After performing several tests on the white gold ring in an effort to deter the man, the clerk allowed him to hold the $7,300 Leo Diamond.

Leo Diamonds are handcrafted by master diamond artisans at Leo Schachter, one of world’s leading manufacturers of polished diamonds, and certified to be visibly brighter.

In the local snatch-and-go, the man grabbed the ring and fled to a nearby car with someone in the passenger's seat. But it was parked too far away for witnesses to get a good look.

They said the car was a silver, four-door sedan that turned east on Main Street.

The suspect is described as:

  • An African-American man, about age 25;
  • Standing 6-feet-1-inch tall, and weighing 165 pounds;
  • With black hair and brown eyes;
  • A thin build and medium complexion; and
  • Wearing a black coat, black pants and a black Polo hat with a white horse.

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