One Arrest in Zales Jewelers Burglary, Another Expected

An arrest has been made in the burglary of Zales Jewelers in Village Square Mall early Thursday morning, and authorities say another person is being sought.

Effingham city police say 23-year-old Jordan JA Johnston of Shelbyville was taken into custody by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. Effingham Police Chief Jeffrey Fuesting said Johnston is being held on a Class 3 felony count of burglary and a Class 4 felony count of criminal damage to property. Johnston is currently being held in Shelby County Jail in Shelbyville on separate charges.

A press release from city police says that due to the extensive coverage of the incident on different media platforms and information garnered from various sources, Effingham detectives, working with Shelby County sheriff's deputies, identified Johnston as a suspect in the Zales burglary. Johnston was taken into custody Friday. 

After an initial investigation, city detectives obtained information regarding the vehicle used in the incident, which was then recovered by law enforcement Thursday in Shelby County.

Police say the suspect vehicle not only was backed through the outside entrance into the mall and then down two hallways, it was used to strike the glass entrance at Zales. Police also say an undetermined amount of jewelry and merchandise was stolen from Zales and the vehicle was then driven back down the hallways and out of the mall the same way it was driven in.

Chief Fuesting said there is another person of interest being sought in the incident. The chief said, "This is an outstanding example of the public working in cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies to bring about a swift resolution to a serious crime. The Bureau of Criminal Investigations worked tirelessly to develop leads that led to this arrest." 

Fuesting also praised the work of Shelby County deputies, stating, "Without their assistance and collaboration this investigation would not have been solved so quickly. I am proud of the work the deputies put forth solving this incident."

The surveillance video taken of the vehicle at America's Groove Record Store in the mall is now up on our website.