Employee suspected in $100K jewelry theft at JCPenney store

BOARDMAN — The Southern Park Mall JCPenney store suspects that an employee is responsible for the theft of about $100,000 in jewelry, according to a police report.

The report, made with township police Thursday, determined that the theft occurred between this September’s inventory and last September, when the store last performed an inventory of merchandise.

The suspected employee asked questions about the inventory after it was completed, a store investigator told police.

Almost $58,000 in gold necklaces were stolen along with other gold jewelry, the report said.

JCPenney will pursue criminal charges should a suspect be identified.