Personal foul: Man in referee shirt steals diamonds

Attention, brides-to-be and others hoping to see the good, serious jewelry this holiday season: If your man presents you with two diamond rings and asks you to chose – particularly if furtive glances are involved – you may want to reconsider the relationship.

Maryland investigators are looking for a man in his 20s who hit two Zales stores on Wednesday – one in Columbia and another in Frederick. In the latter heist, he walked into a store in the FSK Mall on Buckeystown Pike at about noon and asked to look at two diamond rings, according to Maryland state police officers.

Then he said he wanted to look at them side-by-side, prompting the saleswoman to place both rings on her thumb, police said. At that point, the suspect allegedly reached across the counter, pulled both rings off the saleswoman’s thumb, and fled the store. Total value: $18,900.

Investigators soon learned a thief matching his description had stolen several pieces of jewelry at the Columbia Zales. At the time of at least one of the thefts, police said, he was wearing a black-and-white referee-style shirt.

Here’s hoping the whole thing comes under clear instant-replay review from store monitors.

Other elements of the suspect’s description: A black man, 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, with black slacks and white-and-blue sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to call State Trooper Jeremy Hite, 301-600-4151.

-- Dan Morse