KENSINGTON, Md. — A Maryland jewelry store owner is asking for help to find a group of women who stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.
The owner of Raffie Jeweler in Kensington said the stolen jewelry had been brought in for repair. A video shared by the store on social media on Tuesday shows three women distracting the store owner while another woman is seen crawling under the counter. The woman quickly grabs a box of manila envelopes and crawls away.
The owner, Raffie Bardizbanian, said the envelopes contained customers' repaired jewelry that was ready for pick up. The woman made off with an estimated $70,000 worth of merchandise, according to Bardizbanian.
Engagement rings, bracelets, and wedding bands were all gone in a matter of seconds. The women also took the envelopes with customers names and numbers so Bardizbanian is unsure who the stolen items belong to.
“Return my customer’s merchandise -- I’ll exchange it with mine, I don’t care," the owner pleaded. "I’m hoping they get caught and they get punished and I’m hoping I can recover some or all my customer’s merchandise."
Bardizbanian has been getting calls from other jewelers across the country who heard what happened, saw the video and recognized the women. Bardizbanian believes the women have done this before and will likely do it again.
Raffie Jeweler, located in Kensington's Antique Row, has been in business since 1986. Bardizbanian said anyone who may recognize the woman on the security footage to contact him. The store can be reached at (301) 949-0490.
The Fairfax County Police Department is also investigating a possible connection to a larceny incident at Tysons Mall on September 1st and other thefts in the region.
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