The Benton Police Department is investigating a report of a jewelry theft from a vendor at a local business.
Police Chief Mike O'Neill said Kevin Edwards, a vendor at Memories Antiques and Collectibles, 1104 Public Square, Benton, reported Tuesday that "400 to 500 items" had been stolen from a locked case in the store.
"At that time, he did not know the scope of the loss," O'Neill said Thursday. "Initially, it was $10,000."
Benton police were told the theft occurred sometime between 5:30 p.m. Sunday and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Edwards said that he locked the store on Sunday — "then, when I came in Tuesday, I saw the case and a two-foot spot where my stuff was missing, and I thought, 'Oh, my God! Where are the bracelets? Where are the pendants?'"
Edwards said Thursday that the items stolen were pieces of sterling silver jewelry and estimated the loss as "$12,000 to $15,000 worth of jewelry."
"There was $6,955 in bracelets alone," he said. "Four hundred pieces of silver jewelry is not an easy fence."
Jennifer Fleser, daughter of Memories owner George Fleser, called the theft "unfortunate."
"We've never had anything of this magnitude happen," Jennifer Fleser said. "We hope Kevin gets his stuff back."
She said the store has approximately 30 vendors who rent several booths. "We will be watching everything triple-time now," Fleser said.
O'Neill urged anyone with information to contact the police department at 439-4504.
"The store is being cooperative," O'Neill said. "Everyone's cooperating."
