Newport Jewel Heist Is Thwarted

Police foiled a robbery at a Newport Beach jewelry store Wednesday that ended in a standoff with one of the thieves, authorities said.

Shortly before 11 a.m., officers responded to an alarm at Jewels by Joseph in the Corona del Mar Plaza shopping center, said Sgt. Steve Shulman.

Almost immediately after cordoning off the shopping complex, Shulman said, police arrested Herbert Nelson Kirkwood, 31, and Dominick Edwards, 32, of Los Angeles, who they said were trying to escape with some jewels. A handgun was found nearby, Shulman said.

Police said a third man, whom they identified as Kenney Dwayne Watkins, 27, of Los Angeles, charged through the backdoor of an ice cream shop next door just as owner Tyler George and two workers were preparing to open, police said. Watkins pulled out a gun and demanded the keys to a car, they said.

When Watkins disappeared into a back room, George and the workers fled through the front door, authorities said. A SWAT team took up position outside as police tried to persuade Watkins to surrender. After about an hour and a half, he gave up, walking out backward with his arms up, limping on an injured left leg, and was arrested.

George and Shulman speculated that Watkins had climbed into the ice cream store’s rafters and hurt his leg either jumping or falling to the floor.

Edwards is being held on $100,000; the others are on parole holds and not eligible for release.

Shulman said he suspected that the thieves had been attracted to the store by news reports that the American Star, a 13.4-carat diamond valued at $2.3 million, had been on display.

“When I saw the reports, I said, ‘This could be a problem,’ ” he said. “Bad guys read the paper, too.”