James Ta, the owner of Pleasantry Jewelers, says he was lured away from the store Saturday by a caller claiming he wanted to see a piece of jewelry at another location.
Ta left, and two employees remained in the store. That's when a man came in for an appointment to look at some diamond earrings, worth $46,000. Each earring weighs 1 carat.
The man distracted the clerk, suddenly grabbed the earrings and ran out of the store. The employees tried to chase after him.
Ta says he's glad his employees were not hurt.
"I hope this guy gets caught," he said.
The LAPD is asking anyone with information on the suspect to contact them.
