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Search Underway For 'Bait And Switch' Jewel Thieves

FULLERTON (CBS) — Police are asking for the public's help in finding two "bait and switch" thieves who scammed a Fullerton jewelry store owner.

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Authorities Hunt For 'Bait And Switch' Thieves In Fullerton, KNX 1070's Mike Landa Reports

The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the All Phases Jewelry store on West Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said.

The men reportedly bargained for the sale of several pieces of gold but when the owner wasn't looking, they swapped the bag.

Goodrich says incidents like this are also happening in Garden Grove.

"They're similar MO. They go in, they distract the vendor, they swap the bags. Our detectives looked at that and looked at the Garden Grove detectives and they determined that the suspects are not the same suspects. At least the people that walk in the store," he added.

A surveillance video at the Fullerton store caught the suspects swapping a bag of gold jewelry for phony items.

Both suspects are described as Latino males between the ages of 28 to 35.

One of them is 5-foot-4, weighs about 185 pounds with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a long white T-shirt and baggy blue jeans. He has tattoos on both arms and one on his neck with lips and the words, "My Love."

The other suspect is 5-foot-2 and weighs about 225 pounds with short brown hair, brown eyes and a mustache. He was wearing a T-shirt and baggy jean shorts.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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