Indio Police Need Help From Public To Identify Suspected Jewelry Thief

Indio police asked the public Thursday for help in identifying a teenager suspected of stealing a bracelet worth $8,000 from a jewelry store. The suspect is described a 16- or 17-year-old male Hispanic, about 5 feet 5 inches tall with curly black hair, about 160 pounds and was wearing a camouflage jacket and black shorts on the day of the robbery, Indio Police Department Detective Justino Perez said. The robbery occurred around 2 p.m. on Jan. 4 at Don Victor Jewelers at 81673 Highway 111, Perez said. The suspect told the store clerk that his mother wanted him to pick out an item, which the mother would purchase after opening an account with jeweler. Once the suspect had the bracelet in his possession, he fled the store eastbound on Highway 111, Perez said. The public’s help is being sought because detectives were unable to identify the suspect after reaching out to youth contacts and a month of investigation, according to Ben Guitron, the department’s public information officer. Police are asking that anyone who may have information about the robbery or the identity of the suspect to please contact Detective Perez at the Major Crimes Unit at (760) 391-4117 or jperez@indiopd.org.