Two jewelry centers at the Paddock Mall have been burglarized in recent weeks, with large amounts of inventory taken.
Ocala police officials said the first incident occurred Jan. 23 and the second on Feb. 3. The stores are Ocala Jewelers and Banter by Piercing Pagoda, which is a stand-alone business.
In both instances, officers said, employees told responding officers that they noticed items missing when they arrived for work.
How much is the stolen jewelry worth? The estimates are still being tallied, detectives said. They said only that the value is significant.
Authorities won’t say anything about how the burglaries were pulled off. It’s unknown if the cases are connected.
Employees at both stores declined comment to a Star-Banner reporter who stopped by on Tuesday.
Nearby jewelry store employees interviewed by the same reporter said they’ve heard about the heists and are keeping a watchful eye out and are taking extra precautions.
Some employees at the mall are still on edge due to the deadly shooting that occurred there mere days before Christmas.