The Zales Jewelers store located at Zona Rosa remains open this week despite damages suffered in a burglary in the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 3. A trio of individuals from California remain in custody at the Platte County Detention Center charged in connection with the crime. Two black males and one black female allegedly used baseball bats to break through a front door before leaving in a rental car with more than $200,000 worth of jewelry.
A witness alerted Kansas City (Mo.) police to the crime, and officers were able to detain all three suspects that morning after a brief car and then foot chase, according to court documents.
The probable cause statement indicates that a resident of the Vintage Apartments above the stores heard loud noises at about 2 a.m. on the night of the break-in. While looking out the window, he observed a four-door gray Nissan SUV parked in front of the Zales and observed three individuals dressed in black with what appeared to be baseball bats.
The three individuals entered the store and then exited, each with a bundle of unidentified items, according to the witness.
Provided with a vehicle description and direction of travel, officers located a Nissan Armada leaving Zona Rosa on N. Congress Avenue, then east on Prairie View Road with the back license plate covered. They caught up to the suspect vehicle at NW Tiffany Springs Parkway and NW Prairie View Road and attempted to make a stop.
The Armada went on NW Tiffany Springs Parkway and then south onto Interstate 29 to southbound Interstate 635. Eventually, the driver exited northbound onto Highway 9 toward Parkville, Mo. before driving behind a building where the suspects attempted to flee on foot.
All three were found hiding in a wooded area, and they were later identified as 54-year-old Roderick Jordan of Los Angeles, 36-year-old Danielle Rodell of Los Angeles and 53-year-old Monta Tindall of Oakland, Calif.
Inside the Armada, rented from Hertz Car Rental and due to be turned in two days later, officers found three Ralph Lauren pillow cases containing a large amount of jewelry, which an employee of Zales identified as stolen from the Zona Rosa store. The recovered jewelry was valued at $214,577, and the store reported a total loss of $217,061 in missing items and $4,000 in property damage.
According to court documents, officers found that Tindall had been renting a room at The Best Western, located on NE 43rd Street in Kansas City. They received consent to search the room and located packing for Ralph Lauren pillow cases like the ones recovered in the suspects’ vehicle.
Jordan, Rodell and Tindall remain in custody in lieu of $100,000 cash-only bonds, charged with three felonies apiece: stealing, burglary and resisting arrest.