Orange County Authorities Warn of ‘Hugging’ Jewelry Thieves

Orange County Sheriff's Department vehicles are parked outside the Saddleback Station in Lake Forest, Calif., on Sept. 14, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Local law enforcement is warning residents of a new robbery trend in Orange County, California—where strangers offer a hug, only to steal jewelry.

In one such incident, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to a home in Rancho Santa Margarita July 2 regarding a robbery.