Man Charged with Jewelry Store Theft Attempt

A 28-year-old Mount Vernon, NY man suspected in a 2012 jewelry store robbery in New Canaan was arrested Wednesday after he ran out of a Darien jewelry store with plainclothes detectives in hot pursuit.

Darien police gave this account of the incidents (except for the parts within parentheses):

In 2012, Gorham Valentine visited David Harvey Jewelers, 995 Post Rd. in Darien, and asked about expensive watches. He left the store without buying a watch.

Soon afterward, someone who looked like Valentine visited Henry Reid Jewelers in New Canaan, again asking about expensive watches. When a store clerk showed a watch to him, the man fled the store with the watch without paying for it.

On Wednesday, Valentine entered David Harvey Jewelers, appeared suspicious for some reason, and someone at the store called Darien police. Plainclothes Darien detectives went to the store and watched Valentine, who then received a call on his cell phone.

Police suspect that an accomplice acting as a lookout told Valentine that there were police in the area. (Shortly after the incident, uniformed police in three patrol cars were seen at the intersection of the Post Road and Day Street, just to the west of David Harvey Jewelers.) As detectives approached Valentine, he rushed out of the store, runing toward the Darien Metro-North railroad station, where police caught him.

(During his rush from the store, he dropped his cell phone, which a bystander gave to police, Darien Patch has been told.)

Police charged Valentine, of 55 Pennsylvania Ave., Mount Vernon, NY, with interfering or resisting arrest and attempted third-degree larceny. He posted a $50,000 bond and was released pending a Feb. 4 appearance in state Superior Court in Stamford.