Jewelry store robbery suspect in custody after Orlando chase

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man suspected in a jewelry store heist in Tampa is in custody after a brief chase in Orlando on Thursday, authorities said.

According to investigators, three armed men robbed an International Diamond Center in Tampa on Nov. 22. During the robbery, officials said the men used a sledgehammer to steal jewelry and one shot was fired by the suspects.

Authorities said they believe Bryan Beaudoin was the mastermind of the jewelry store heist.

Surveillance video from the robbery shows one man pointing a gun directly at the head of a store employee.

Authorities said the men may have gotten away with the crime if they hadn't used a credit card they allegedly stole at the store that day, leaving a trail for investigators.

The trail eventually led authorities to central Florida, where the suspects live.

ATF investigators told Channel 9 they were monitoring several locations before they found Beaudoin at a home near Raleigh Street.

Investigators, however, said Beaudoin was also watching them and was able to flee the scene in his truck.

"We were actually sitting on the house waiting for him to come out," said Scott Etheridge of the ATF.

Beaudoin led officers on a brief pursuit that ended with him crashing near Oak Ridge Road and International Drive.

"He was on I-4. He was on OBT. He was everywhere," said Etheridge.

Authorities said the pursuit lasted about 20 minutes and went through several residential neighborhoods.

"We have to be very cautious. There's a lot of children and such so there was no way we're going to ram a car or get in a high-speed pursuit. We just took a soft pursuit out of the neighborhood," said Etheridge.

Beaudoin is said to be the mastermind behind the robbery and the person who supplied the gun used. He's was booked into the Orange County Jail.

Two other suspects, Anthony Wahba and Clyde Johnson, were arrested last week without incident.

All three have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

No injuries were reported in the heist.

Channel 9 has learned Wahba had been arrested in Seminole County in January in an undercover sting. Investigators said he was one of 50 people arrested for allegedly trying to meet a minor for sex.

WFTV