A 23-year-old man has been arrested in the strong-arm robbery of a valuable ring from a Coon Rapids jewelry store that left a saleswoman with a broken finger.
The arrest Tuesday in the Dec. 30 theft at Kay Jewelers at Riverdale Mall followed law enforcement's distribution to news media of surveillance video and photographs of the suspect. Video showed the man ripping the ring, with a 1.6-carat Leo diamond valued at more than $15,000, from the employee's hand as she stood behind the counter.
"No doubt the exposure received was the decisive factor in the leads which generated the arrest," the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said in a statement announcing the man's arrest on suspicion of first-degree robbery.
The suspect does not have a current permanent address, but the Sheriff's Office said he most recently lived in Fridley.
"Multiple sources" saw the surveillance images and directed officers to the suspect, the Sheriff's Office said. That led to the saleswoman and witnesses making a positive identification, the Sheriff's Office said.
Charges against the man could come as soon as Thursday afternoon.
The suspect has "an extensive amount of law enforcement contacts" that include numerous arrests involving theft, the Sheriff's Office said. Those arrests have led to at least two convictions since 2009, first for receiving stolen property and then for possession of burglary or theft tools, according to state records.
PAUL WALSH
