Bradenton man accused of stealing $9K gold chain from jeweler, police say
Police say a man stole a $9,000 gold chain from a Bradenton jewelry store after daring employees to call law enforcement.
Christopher Dimastrantonio, 37, went into a Kay Jewelers at 6705 Manatee Ave. W. on Sept. 28 and asked to try on the chain before walking out of the store wearing it, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
Police said he told staff, “You should call the cops,” and employees did.
Bradenton police posted surveillance stills to social media Monday that appeared to show Dimastrantonio walking through the store wearing a baseball cap, his face uncovered.
Detectives said they later identified the vehicle he drove from the scene and tracked him down over the weekend. Manatee County Jail records show Dimastrantonio was booked Saturday on a charge of grand theft between $5,000 and $10,000 and released the next day after posting a $2,500 bond.
Officers said Dimastrantonio, who is originally from Maine, has previously faced robbery charges in his home state before moving to Bradenton.
