$10K Jewelry Stolen at Ocean County Mall, Suspect Now in Custody

$10K Jewelry Stolen at Ocean County Mall, Suspect Now in Custody

A man from South Jersey has been accused with stealing a $10,000 gold necklace from a jewelry store within the Ocean County Mall.

At around 7:05 p.m. on April 10, Toms River Township Police Department arrived at Kay Jewelers inside the Ocean County Mall in response to reports of what was initially described as a "smash and grab" event. Shortly after it occurred, the incident was reported on a number of local scanner news pages on Facebook.

Officers were called to Kay Jewelers at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, April 10, after Jeremy Ruga asked a worker to examine a 14-carat gold necklace, put it around his neck, and left the business on foot, according to Toms River police.

Authorities said they last saw the suspect running through the Macy's parking lot. He was reportedly sporting a Fedora-style hat and tan spectacles at the time.

Detectives identified the culprit as Jeremy Ruga, 38, of Dorothy, New Jersey in Atlantic County, after conducting an investigation.

On April 15, he was officially charged with third-degree theft.

Ruga was recently sent to the Ocean County Jail, where he is still being held, after being detained at the Monmouth County Jail on unrelated allegations.

The investigation is being led by Toms River Police Department Detective Ryan Quinn.