PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A 67-year-old woman was robbed Friday afternoon in the parking lot of the Fresh Market on A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said.
The woman was walking into the supermarket when a group of people stopped her in a sport utility vehicle and “asked if they could give her a blessing, which she reluctantly went along with,” deputies said.
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According to the Sheriff’s Office, the woman quickly realized that something was wrong and that the people were trying to remove her jewelry.
When she tried to pull away, deputies said, the group snatched the jewelry and then took off.
Detectives said they spotted the SUV on surveillance, learned it was a rental car and issued a BOLO (be on the lookout).
Deputies said the SUV was later spotted on Interstate 95 in South Carolina.
According to deputies, the occupants of the SUV have been identified, the vehicle has been seized, and the Sheriff’s Office is working with other agencies to get a search warrant.
Deputies noted that similar incidents have been reported in surrounding areas.