PHOENIX — After weeks on the run, Kirt Wilson is once again back behind bars.
Wilson is accused of breaking into and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from five Valley stores in the last six months. He was first arrested in July. Police say he cut off his ankle monitor last month, then continued the heists. Investigators named Wilson as a suspect in three burglaries since then.
Wilson posted bond after his arrest in July, that's when a judge ordered he remain under electronic monitoring while he awaited trial. He pleaded guilty to several counts of burglary in September. He was scheduled to be sentenced in January.
"You work so hard and people they go and come and pick up all you have in five minutes," said David Tavitian, owner of David's Jewelry in Cave Creek.
He says his store was hit Wednesday, and had seven thousand dollars worth of watches, necklaces, and rings stolen.
"It doesn't matter how much you lose, it's the principle of the thing," Tavitian said.
Wilson, later identified by police as the man in the video, was arrested later that same day, but not before he was able to steal even more.
Just hours later, he broke into Edmar Fine Jewelry in North Scottsdale. There, he left with even more, $250 thousand worth of jewels.
“I don’t think he should’ve ever been released on the ankle monitor," said Justin Cohen. He spoke to ABC15 last week, when his shop, Elite Fine Jewelry, was burglarized.Wilson, also a suspect in that case. "It’s clearly not a bullet proof system."
Police say they used cell phone records to track Wilson down after the latest heists. They found him outside Aztec Pawn in South Phoenix. Court documents say he and an accomplice had already pawned some of the jewels, but found others still in their car. Investigators later returned what was left to each store.
Wilson is now being held on no bond.
