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Gang member arrested in jewelry theft worth $9K
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Mesa police arrested a gang member suspected of stealing more than $9,000 worth of jewelry from a pawnshop over the weekend.
According to Mesa police, Adrian Joseph Martinez, 20, used a brick to shatter a display case that contained several pieces at Super Pawn near Southern Avenue and Country Club Drive on Nov. 1.
A store manager as well as several others told police that Martinez reached into his backpack as though he were about to pull out a weapon, then took about $9,000 worth of jewelry from the case and ran away, authorities said.
According to police reports, surveillance footage showed that Martinez had visited the pawnshop on Oct. 31 - a day before the robbery.
Several eyewitness accounts as well as the surveillance video footage led to the arrest of Martinez on Thursday afternoon, police said. Martinez is a documented member of Westside Mesa, a criminal street gang.
According to reports, Martinez had contacted his probation officer and said that he wanted to move to Tucson. Police believed he may have been attempting to flee from authorities.
Martinez was arrested on suspicion of robbery, assisting a criminal street gang and criminal damage.
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