Fla. authorities say man walking through security checkpoint at courthouse tried to steal watch

Man charged with stealing watch at courthouse

LARGO, Fla. — Authorities said a man walking through a security checkpoint at a Pinellas courthouse tried to steal an expensive watch, just feet from deputies. The sheriff’s office reported that a man who had emptied his pockets to walk through a metal detector Monday complained that his $1,000 Wittnauer watch was gone.

Deputies played back a surveillance video and identified a 53-year-old man as the person who took the watch. He was located in a courtroom, attending a pretrial hearing for a charge of selling cocaine. Deputies searched him and reported finding the watch.

The suspect was arrested and charged with grand theft. He was later released on $5,000 bail.

Information from: St. Petersburg Times, tampabay.com