Doris Payne, 83-year-old jewel thief, due in court Wednesday

Doris Payne, the 83-year-old career jewel thief who was arrested again in October after allegedly stealing a diamond ring from a Palm Desert shop, is expected in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Police and employees at the Palm Desert jewelry store are expected to testify Wednesday as a judge determines whether there is enough evidence to order Payne to stand trial.

Payne’s capers have stretched across the globe and inspired a recent documentary.

Payne was arrested in October after she allegedly stole a $22,500 diamond-encrusted ring from a jewelry store on El Paseo, Palm Desert’s luxurious row of shops. Jeweler Raju Mehta told The Times he thought the well-dressed, articulate women fit right in with his customers when she walked in the store Oct. 21.

She tried on necklaces and a ring, Mehta said, saying she had lost her jewelry and had a $42,000 insurance check to spend. When she left the store, workers discovered the ring was missing.

“She knows what she’s doing,” Mehta said. “I’ve been doing retail for a very long time and it’s never happened that someone stole right in front of me.”

Police say Mehta was the latest in a long line of unsuspecting victims duped by Payne, who once described her profession in a court document as “jewel thief.”

“What she did in that store is exactly how she has operated for decades,” said retired FBI Agent Paul Graupmann, who first arrested Payne in the 1980s. “She comes in well-dressed and often says she is looking to buy something because she has come into some money.”

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Twitter: @katemather

kate.mather@latimes.com