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Thief Steals Ring Off Woman's Finger In Roslyn Heights Parking Lot

ROSLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A brazen thief stole a Long Island woman's diamond ring right off her finger in broad daylight Tuesday.

The robbery happened in the parking lot of the Holiday Farms grocery store on Roslyn Road at the Long Island Expressway, CBS 2's John Slattery reported.

Gail Silberman was in the parking lot when it happened. She said the robber wouldn't let the woman into her car.

"He wouldn't let her and he grabbed her hand, said 'I want your jewelry,' and took her engagement ring. He bent her hand back," she said.

Store employee David Mandell also saw the victim.

"She had a ring stolen off her finger and she was very upset," Mandell said.

Witnesses say the thief-- who is described as being between 30 and 40 years old, 6 feet tall and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt-- ran off behind the store.

"There were a bunch of people in the parking lot who tried to run after him," Silberman said.

But the thief got away, leaving customers to wonder about the brazen crime.

"It's crazy, scary. I shop here all the time, I'm very surprised," Andrea Weiss said.

"What can I say? What would happen if it were me? I'd probably scream like all hell," customer Graciella Hall said.

Over the past few weeks in Woodmere, on the south shore, two women were followed home to their garages by the same thief who took their diamond rings. The description of that thief was different, but was seen driving a gray Toyota Corolla.

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