Florida woman attempts to sell ring back to store from which it was stolen

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A Florida woman was arrested after police discovered she tried to sell multiple stolen rings to jewelers in the state.

Alice Lavern Henry, 47, brought a $1,000 stolen ring to Griner’s Jewelry in Winter Haven on Sept. 28 and asked the store clerk if the retailer would be interested in purchasing the jewelry.

Henry told the clerk she had found the ring while using a metal detector on a beach in the Florida Panhandle, Winter Haven Police Department spokesperson Jamie Brown said Monday.

But upon inspection, the clerk said the ring didn’t have any damage that would be expected from such a find, such as scratches from sand.

While the clerk continued questioning Henry about the ring, another store employee called police.

Henry told police she drove to Panama City Beach for an emergency situation involving her daughter. While in Panama City Beach, Henry said she ran into a friend who “happened to have a metal detector in her car,” The Ledger reported.

She told police she borrowed the metal detector to do treasure hunting on the beach during her time in the city.

Henry was allowed to leave the store without the ring, the payment or any consequences, according to The Ledger.

But during an investigation, authorities said they discovered Henry had gone to another jewelry store in Lake Wales multiple times in September to sell three other rings that had been stolen during a July burglary at the Griner’s Jewelry store.

Henry was arrested Sunday.

During interviews with police, she told them she found the stolen jewelry on the ground near dumpsters at her apartment complex, officials said.