BSO searches for courthouse watch thief

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) -- Deputies are searching for the woman who was seen on surveillance video stealing a pricey watch at a South Florida courthouse.

A man on surveillance video at the Broward Courthouse was seen emptying out his pockets following a security procedure. He then took off his $2,200 black Gucci watch, but forgot to pick it up.

A woman behind the victim can then be seen grabbing her purse from a bin, then looking at something in another bin that caught her eye. She picked up the item and walked away. "If you look at the surveillance video, she's just a few steps behind the victim, and at one point when she picks up the watch out of the security bin, it almost looks as she going to call out to him, to reach out to him, to let him know that he left it behind," said Veda Coleman-Wright of the Broward Sheriff's Office.

The woman seen on surveillance had the opportunity, deputies said, to return the watch, but she decided to exit the courthouse with the stolen item. "We clearly believe she had several opportunities to return this watch to him, and she simply chose not to," said Coleman-Wright. "She could have reached out to him, she could have called out to him, she could have actually asked one of the security guards, 'Hey this watch was left.'"

A few moths ago, a man was accused of stealing a Rolex watch at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. His face was captured on surveillance video and was seen all over the nation. Someone at his Sunny Isles apartment building recognized him and called police.

BSO hopes the public will recognize this suspect and call police. "The video is really clear. You can identify clearly who she is, so if you know her, give us a call," said Coleman-Wright.

If you have any information or have recognize this woman, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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