VIDEO: Jewelry thief caught on tape at Marco Marriott

Jewelry thief caught on tape

Woman accused of stealing jewelry at Marco ...

Photo by KELLY FARRELL, Staff // Buy this photo

Ed Issler, husband of Laura Issler, who owns Jewelry by Laura, located in the Marco Marriott, scopes out the bracelets stolen from the store and recovered by Marco Island police. Detective Linda Guerrera returned the jewelry to the store Wednesday evening. Kelly Farrell/ Staff

Brigitte Strauss

MARCO ISLAND — A thief caught on camera appeared to be planning her next score just before being arrested. On Tuesday the suspect was seen inside the jewelry store that she now stands accused of robbing just days before.

Her arrest outside the Marco Marriott culminated from efforts by the store owner, hotel security and police and ended with the suspect attempting to strip off her clothing in broad daylight.

Owners of the store, Jewelry by Laura, located in the Marco Marriott, saw what many small business owners fear most when they opened their store one Saturday morning. It appeared that at least $1,000 worth of jewelry had gone missing from their store the night before.

Marco resident Ed Issler reviewed the surveillance video of the evening before, which was May 15, and saw a woman pocketing bracelets.

“She made a tunnel out of her rolled up jacket, tucked under her arm and scooped them in like she was stuffing a mailbox,” said Ed Issler, husband of store owner Laura Issler.

The Isslers filed a police report and handed over the video recordings, which are watermarked and admissible in court.

Figuring the female culprit was a hotel guest who had likely left the Island, Ed said he didn’t think the shoplifter would be caught.

On Tuesday, Laura saw someone she thought looked like the culprit perusing the store. She called her husband, who went online to review surveillance tapes and compare.

There she was, the identical person in the store looking over the shiny goods hoping to score once again, which she almost did, he said.

“My wife stayed on her like white on rice.”

With 911 on one phone line and hotel security on the other, Ed had her tracked down.

Brigitte Strauss, 59, of Graz Austria, was arrested by Marco Island police after she was seen fleeing the hotel, at about 5 p.m., Tuesday. Police discovered she planned to depart for Germany at 6 a.m. the next day.

“She was stripping her clothes off. She had a bikini underneath but police told her please stop,” Ed said.

Strauss reportedly stopped stripping before being arrested.

Four bracelets were found with price tags still on them in the room she was staying in at the Sea Breeze, a condominium complex at 190 North Collier Boulevard, not far from the Marriot, which is located at 400 South Collier Boulevard.

This isn’t the first time the Issler’s approximate $10,000 investment in video surveillance equipment has showed a return. Ed says a former employee was caught on video stealing cash, about $30,000 of it, in the last year.

He said his wife Laura had a soft heart, deciding not to prosecute the former employee because she has children.

In this case, Strauss was seen stealing just a foot or so behind the store attendant’s back.

“Laura wanted to prosecute this, she felt so violated,” Ed said.

Strauss was arrested, taken to jail and charged with grand theft. Her passport was confiscated by police.

Detective Linda Guerrero returned four bracelets to Ed Wednesday evening.

The Isslers wanted to send a message: “The shoplifters are getting caught. They can’t get away with this,” Ed said.