El Cajon, Calif.— Law enforcement authorities are actively searching for an individual masquerading as an influencer, believed to be responsible for a series of grab-and-run robberies, according to a crime alert issued by the Jewelers’ Security Alliance on January 5.
The suspect is alleged to have orchestrated multiple grab-and-run incidents in recent months. In a notable case at the end of December, the perpetrator entered a Daniel’s Jewelers store in El Cajon, California, around 2 p.m. Wearing a distinctive hot pink jacket and adorned with jewelry, she claimed to be an influencer, as reported by the police.
A store employee, complying with her request, presented several gold necklaces for her to try on. During the interaction, the suspect stepped away, ostensibly to make a phone call, and subsequently informed the clerk that she intended to purchase the items. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly grabbed a handful of jewelry and fled the store. The estimated value of the stolen gold necklaces amounted to $36,000.
Surveillance photos from the parking lot revealed a getaway vehicle with a driver at the wheel. Using the license plate number, law enforcement identified the alleged thief as Angelina Ordonez, 23, with addresses in San Diego and Yuma, Arizona. Investigations have linked her to similar robberies in Escondido on the same day and in Carlsbad two weeks prior.
Authorities are exploring Ordonez as a suspect in additional grab-and-run thefts at jewelry stores across Southern California, Arizona, and Michigan. Described as a “nomad” by the El Cajon Police Department, officials express confidence in her eventual apprehension, with plans to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Ordonez had been detained for shoplifting in Arizona earlier in the month, but due to pending theft warrants, she was released. The veracity of her claim to be an influencer remains unconfirmed.
In response to the escalating trend of grab-and-run robberies, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance recommends that jewelers limit the items shown to customers, presenting only one at a time. The organization has also disseminated a list of suspects wanted for grab-and-run robberies in various states, including Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, and New York.
