Posted: 07 Sep 2010 02:24 PM PDT

Published: Tuesday, September 07, 2010, 5:26 PM

PIGEON — Sentencing has been postponed for a 24-year-old Pigeon man who pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from a friend's mother.

Matthew J. Rousse is receiving treatment for substance abuse so could not appear for sentencing today, authorities said.

Rousse pleaded guilty in July to one count of larceny less than $20,000.

From Oct. 1 to March 5, Rousse took a $2,096 wedding band, a $3,180 diamond ring and various gold chains and charms, investigators said.

He pawned the goods in Saginaw and Bay City, Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski has said.

A new sentencing date is pending.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent.

Thieves bore into Plaza jewelry store - Kansas City Star

Posted: 06 Sep 2010 10:24 PM PDT

By KEVIN COLLISON

The Kansas City Star

Vinca Jewelry at 4801 Jefferson St. on the Country Club Plaza

Thieves punched through a concrete block wall and bored into a thick metal safe early Monday to steal gold and diamonds from a Country Club Plaza jewelry store.

"It was like the Mafia," said Simon Zouein, the owner of Vinca Jewelry at 4801 Jefferson St. "They had three or four hours, and nobody caught them."

Police said the loss was large, but neither they nor Zouein would say how much the burglars made off with. The take included loose diamonds, gold chains, and wedding and engagement rings from metal boxes in the safe.

"I don't want to go into numbers. It will affect sentiment on the Plaza," Zouein said.

Zouein discovered the heist when he opened his business at 10:30 a.m.

The burglars broke a 3-by-4-foot hole through the wall from an enclosed service corridor next to his store sometime overnight.

The thieves had time to break through a 6-inch concrete wall and cut through the back of an adjoining 6-inch-thick, double-layered steel safe to clean out the jewelry stored there overnight.

Zouein has operated Vinca Jewelry on the Plaza for 35 years, about half that time at the location at 48th and Jefferson streets. The enclosed walkway where the burglary occurred runs between his business and the Ingredient restaurant at 4807 Jefferson St.

"They came from behind the store through a private alley that's usually locked, and it was locked," Zouein said. "They broke the door to the alley. Then they went in and broke the concrete wall of our store."

The service corridor is controlled by Highwoods Properties, the owner of the Plaza.

"No security caught them," Zouein said. "I don't know who to blame."

Highwoods officials could not be reached for comment.

By late Monday afternoon, a plywood board covered the hole where the burglars entered, but concrete debris remained on the passageway floor.

When he arrived to open the store, Zouein knew something was amiss because of all the dust inside.

"I saw a lot of dust on the glass," he said. "It looked like construction dust. I went to the alley and found it open and saw the hole in the wall."

The owner said police found footprints in the dust and told him they think the thieves wore gloves. Zouein estimated that at least three people were involved.

"This was a big operation to be done in a short period of time without the help of a lot of people," he said. "There were two layers of metal in the safe. It's not a small thing."

To reach Kevin Collison, call 816-234-4289 or send e-mail to kcollison@kcstar.com.

Thieves hit Vinca Jewelry on the Plaza - Kansas City Star

Posted: 06 Sep 2010 07:47 PM PDT