Two women charged in Seaside jewelry heist

SEASIDE — Tourists can get carried away on the Emerald Coast, but two Alabama women strayed too far when they stole jewelry and purses from a store in mid-March, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

      After arrest warrants were issued last week, they turned themselves in Wednesday night.

      Mary Parker Brown and Emily Parker Johnson, both of Montgomery, were charged with grand theft after the manager at Hooch and Holly’s at Seaside said they stole more than $3,500 worth of jewelry and two purses, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

      The women posted $5,000 bonds Wednesday night and were released, said Sheriff‘s Capt. Eddie Farris.

      Jennifer Black, the manager at Hooch and Holly’s, said three women were browsing in the store March 11. One came to the counter to talk with her while the other women picked up straw purses and started handling some freshwater pearl jewelry.

      “They seem so causal about it,” Black said.

      Black got distracted with another customer. When she was finished she asked another employee if the women had paid for the straw purses. Black then realized that nine strands of pearls were missing from the display and replaced with less valuable necklaces.

      “I guess they thought we wouldn’t notice,” she said.

      Black called Seaside security and ran out the door. She eventually found the women in a small market a few stores down from Hooch and Holly’s. When one of them saw Black through the window, they dashed out of the store and climbed into a Chevrolet Suburban, Black said. The women got away, but Black got the license plate number.

  “If they wouldn’t have gone for lunch, I wouldn’t have gotten their license plate,” Black said. “I guess stealing makes you hungry.”

      Black soon met Ken Flowers, Seaside’s director of security, who called the Sheriff’s Office. A deputy ran the license plate and got a hit.

      According to the arrest report, the truck was registered to Rheata Parker Dozier. The report states the deputy called Dozier on her cell phone. She denied knowing anything about the thefts. Dozier said she was staying with her two sisters, Brown, 52, and Johnson, 54, and her mother, Ruby Grace Parker. Dozier, who has not been charged, said she would talk to her sisters and call back.

      Meanwhile, Black identified the three women from their driver’s license photos obtained from Alabama records, according to the report.

      Dozier called back and said she would bring the stolen goods to the Sheriff’s Office. All but four of the items were returned to Black.

      Black couldn’t believe the women were so relaxed about stealing.

      “They took four grand in 10 minutes,” she said. “They knew what they were doing.”