Man arrested after trying to steal clerk’s wedding ring

A 42-year-old Marathon man was arrested for robbery on Sunday following an investigation into an incident at a gas station on Saturday.

Rogerio Mandelli was charged with battery as well as robbery.

Sgt. Joel Slough as well as Deputies Vincent Torres, Frank Westerband and Caleb Rosario Pietri were called to the Tom Thumb store, 5515 Overseas Highway, shortly after 8 a.m., after the clerk reported a man, later identified as Mandelli, tried to forcefully take her $15,000 wedding ring off her finger. The clerk identified the suspect as a regular customer who asked to see her wedding ring. The clerk initially was not suspicious and showed him the ring, when he reached over the counter and forcefully grabbed the ring.

The clerk clenched her fist and pulled her arm away. The suspect stated he would or would have taken the ring and laughed as he exited the store. The clerk told deputies she believed the suspect would have tried harder to remove the ring had there not been other customers in the store.

Store security cameras collaborated the clerk’s story. Mandelli also used a credit card to make a purchase, which the Sheriff’s Office used to identify him. Deputy Christopher Aguanno later showed the clerk a picture of Mandelli and she identified Mandelli as the man who tried to take her ring.

Mandelli was found at his residence on the 300 block of Stirrup Key Boulevard.

Mandelli was taken to jail.

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