A 36-year-old Arkansas man, Montrel J. Banks, is facing multiple felony charges after Palm Beach police say he broke into a jewelry store and stole over $100,000 worth of merchandise.
Burglary Details
According to the Palm Beach Police Department, officers responded to a burglary alarm at FoundRae, located at 450 S. County Road in Palm Beach, around 2:30 a.m. on July 28. Investigators said the front glass door had been shattered and two jewelry display cases inside the store were broken.
Police identified Banks as the suspect after surveillance video showed him breaking into the store with a hammer, smashing display cases, and placing jewelry into a backpack before leaving on foot. The jewelry taken was valued at about $112,490, according to police.
During the investigation, detectives linked Banks to a taxi ride from a North Palm Beach motel to the area near the store shortly before the burglary. Surveillance footage from the motel and other evidence helped connect him to the crime, police said.
Banks was later arrested at a Super 8 Motel in North Palm Beach. During his arrest, investigators recovered jewelry that police said matched items stolen from the store. Authorities said the recovered jewelry was valued at nearly $104,000 and was identified through store inventory records and markings on the pieces.
Banks was charged with burglary of a structure causing damage exceeding $1,000, grand theft over $100,000, and criminal mischief over $1,000. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail.
Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.
