A suspected thief has been tracked down after jewelry was taken from a car at Eaton’s Beach restaurant in Weirsdale.
Mary Louise Metcalf, 67, of Summerfield, is facing a felony charge of grand theft following her arrest this past week by Marion County sheriff’s deputies.
A rented Nissan Altima with Georgia license plates had been parked on the night of June 2 at the popular beachfront restaurant. The vehicle had been parked in front of the restaurant so the couple renting the vehicle could pack up their beach gear. A restaurant manager asked them to move the car. A one-year-old child was left in the running vehicle while the couple briefly walked away from the car. When they returned they found that $1,900 in cash and about $15,000 in jewelry had been taken from the vehicle.
Video surveillance showed a woman entering the car and then leaving Eaton’s Beach in a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo is registered to a person who resides with Metcalf.
When a deputy went to Metcalf’s home to interview her, she indicated she would need to get a lawyer.