Pair arrested in Mesa, Chandler diamond heists

After James Johnson and Joshua Forsgren made off with one stolen diamond ring on Monday from a jewelry store inside a Mesa mall, police said they tried for another. But their second heist attempt was thwarted.

And after the men led a security guard and a police officer on a foot chase through the Chandler mall, one ended up cornered in a bathroom and both in handcuffs.

Johnson, 25, and Forsgren, 19, both of Gilbert, were arrested after three diamond rings were stolen from two jewelry stores in the Superstition Springs and Chandler Fashion Center malls within two hours, police records show.

Police said their plan wasn't sophisticated: Forsgren went to counters at the jewelry stores and asked to look at diamond rings. After the employees handed them over, he'd run.

Forsgren has a slight mental disability, and Johnson was using him to commit the thefts, police said.

The two first targeted Kaye Jewelers at Superstition Springs Center just before 7 p.m., police said. Forsgren moved in quickly, got the ring and sprinted out an exit at the mall's east side.

Employees at Kaye's quickly contacted police and phoned other area jewelry stores to tell them what happened.

So when Johnson and Forsgren strolled up to Whitehall Jewelers in Chandler about 90 minutes later, workers and police were on alert.

Forsgren asked to look at two rings, police said. He grabbed them and ran.

Except this time, a security guard saw him and sprinted after him. There was also a Chandler officer already in the mall.

Forsgren first entered a bookstore and dashed around before running into a salon where he locked himself in a bathroom, police said.

After several minutes, the officer persuaded Forsgren to come out. Johnson was also picked up nearby, police said.

The officer found two rings on Forsgren and one on Johnson. Together, the three rings were valued at more than $50,000, records show.

The two were arrested on suspicion of multiple thefts.

Forsgren doesn't have a criminal record in Arizona.

But court records show that Johnson has several prior arrests for trespassing, weapons violations, assault and theft. He is also on probation.

Store managers at Whitehall and Kaye's declined to comment.