For the second time this month, an upscale Woodlands jewelry store is finding itself short on merchandise — all thanks to the work of what investigators believe could be a lone serial burglar with a penchant for pepper spray and simple disguises.
Late Monday night, a man wearing a simple white hoodie slipped past on-site security officers at the Market Street shopping center to break into Thomas Markle Jewelers. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to the store's alarm to find several pieces of jewelry missing from a display case.
Video shows a man reminiscent of the suspect who robbed nearby Tiffany's & Co. by pulling an assault rifle from a rhinestone-studded murse.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Thomas Markle was open to the public. Unfortunately, employees were unable to offer further details about the heist.
According to KHOU Ch. 11, investigators say that video surveillance from the shop shows a man vaguely reminiscent of the suspect who robbed nearby Tiffany's & Co. by pulling an assault rifle from a rhinestone-studded murse (a man's purse for the uninitiated) and dousing the staff with pepper-spray.
The authorities believe the same man could be behind a Sept. 24 incident at a Woodlands-area Citibank, where an armed robber sprayed a chemical irritant at a teller and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.
Crime Stoppers of Montgomery County is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in the Tiffany's case. Contact the organization through its website or at 800-392-STOP.
