AUBURN, MASS. (WHDH) - A man is accused of stealing an $18,000 necklace and assaulting a jewelry store employee before fleeing in a taxi and threatening the driver with a firearm in Auburn earlier this month, according to police.
On Monday, September 14, Auburn police said they received a 911 call from a jewelry store employee at the Auburn Mall on Southbridge Street at approximately 3:23 p.m. reporting a man had stolen a gold necklace and elbowed a female employee in the face while fleeing.
Police said the store manager chased the suspect, then saw him jump into a yellow taxi cab that left the property. Within five minutes, police found the cab on Auburn Street in the area of Highland Street. Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop and arrested the passenger without incident, and recovered the stolen necklace.
The suspect was identified as Todd McCabe, 51, of Worcester. He is charged with unarmed robbery, assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Kaitlyn Rutter said she was working at Hannoush Jewelers that afternoon when McCabe came in asking to try on one of their chain necklaces.
“He’s, like, adjusting it himself, trying to shake me off a little bit, but not like pulling too aggressively. So I keep my hand on the back of his neck, like a singular hand,” Rutter explained.
She said McCabe then turned his body, making her lose grip on the necklace, then started to walk away.
“He was like, ‘Alright, have a great day!’ Walks like three feet away from me, I realize he’s not joking and I’m like, ‘Oh no!’” Rutter said.
Rutter said she jumped forward to grab the necklace, and tried to wrestle it away from him.
“As he’s doing it, he whips around and elbows me in the side of my face to get me off him,” she said. “It was fight or flight of why I tried to grab the chain. No matter what, don’t do that. No piece is ever worth more than your life.”
7NEWS spoke with the cab driver, who said he did not know about the theft. When the driver asked McCabe why he was being chased out of the mall by a manager, he said McCabe claimed to have a gun, and threatened him to keep driving.
Auburn police also said they interviewed the cab driver and determined he had no knowledge of McCabe’s plan, and was not involved.
Rutter was taken to the emergency room that night. She said she has a concussion, facial trauma, and neck pain that she will have to go to physical therapy for.
McCabe was arraigned at Worcester District Court on September 15, and was held after a dangerousness hearing, according to police.
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