Jewelry thieves strike again

ST.  PETERSBURG -– Police are searching for a group of thieves wanted in connection with several Tampa Bay area jewelry store burglaries, including one early Sunday at David Reynolds Jewelry Store, 4009 Central Ave.

Store owner Earl Waters said four burglars cut the metal grates on the store’s front door and smashed several glass cases from which they took numerous pieces of gold and platinum jewelry, a few stone pieces and several inexpensive watches.

Waters did not have an estimate on the amount of jewelry taken, but he said the thieves did not get the store’s most expensive pieces, which were kept in a safe.

"They hit every case that had anything in it,'' said Waters. They were in and out of the store in less than a minute, as a video of the incident shows.

When asked the value, he said: "It’s always too much. It’s more than the (insurance) deductible but less than our coverage limit. Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I have to remind myself, no one was hurt. That is the most important thing.''

Detectives believe the thieves are the same ones who broke into another St. Petersburg jewelry store, Bond Diamonds, on Dec. 9. He said the thieves in the past two weeks also struck a store in Hernando County, another in Clearwater and attempted one in Pasco County.

Police released a surveillance videotape of the thieves taken during the Bond break-in.

Marvin Shavlan, owner of Bond Diamonds, said detectives told him the thieves appear to be part of a group operating on the East Coast. They may be based in Miami.

He said they often drive expensive cars, such as BMWs, and strike when the stores are closed.

The thieves were at his store less than two minutes. They took about 100 pieces of gold and silver jewelry of "minimal value,'' Shavlan said. "They really didn’t get very much."

Like the jewelry at the Reynolds store, Shavlan said the store keeps its nicest pieces locked away in a vault.

"It’s more of a nuisance than anything,'' he said. "These guys are pretty brazen. They’re good at what they do. It’s illegal, but they’re good.''

St. Petersburg Police ask anyone with information about the break-ins to call (727) 893-7780.

-- Melanie Ave, Times staff writer