Peninsula Woman Convicted Of Stealing Diamonds Under Nose Of Jewelry Store Clerk

A Palo Alto woman was convicted Tuesday of stealing diamonds from under a clerk’s nose at a San Mateo jewelry store last year, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Angela Walker, 46, was arrested after she left contact information with the store clerk last March 27 and returned days later, apparently in an attempt to steal more diamonds, police said shortly after her arrest. After three hours of deliberations Tuesday, a jury convicted her of commercial burglary, grand theft and possession of drugs, prosecutors said.

She committed the theft at Galati Jewelers at 35 E. Fourth Ave. in San Mateo, where she went shopping for a diamond ring at about 2 p.m. on March 27, according to police.

[Previous: Palo Alto Woman Busted For Allegedly Swiping Diamonds from Jewelry Store.]

The clerk showed her several loose diamonds and a solitaire diamond ring. When the saleswoman went into a back room, Walker stole the diamond ring, police said.

Walker then switched one of the loose diamonds with a cubic zirconia of matching size. Walker told the saleswoman she planned on coming back to view more diamonds and left her contact information.

A few hours later, the clerk realized the items had been stolen and called police. Investigators realized the contact information Walker left behind was legitimate and convinced the clerk to call her back to the store.

Walker returned days later, viewed more diamonds and attempted to sell the store a suspected stolen necklace, police said. Officers arrested her and found her in possession of another cubic zirconia, one the same size as the diamond she was scheduled to view. Searching her home, detectives found more suspected stolen jewelry and loose cubic zirconia gems labeled with their sizes, police said.

Walker was scheduled to return to court today to determine whether she served two prior prison terms, prosecutors said. Her defense attorney Jeff Jackson could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.

--Bay City News

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