Sock bandit strikes Golden Gate jewelry store

Investigators say a sock puppet bandit tried to pry open the doors of Duny Jewelry in Golden Gate on Tuesday with white socks on his hands.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect, Marcus Lockhart, grabbing a tool to pry open the backdoor of the Duny. He faces charges of Attempted Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools and Criminal Mischief. The maneuver is something that worries nearby business owners and workers.

“Knowing the value of the phones we have here and knowing the amount of money in this store, it’s scary,” Berenee Urbina said.

“It does make me nervous,” Onette Clermont said.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they saw Lockhart running away from the store. When they caught up with the suspect, he had a backpack full of items, including a hammer, mask, hairnet and two socks.

Clermont runs the grocery store next door. She has been there for several years. But, she said the area is becoming worse.

“Sometimes you’re going home,” Clermont said, “and you don’t know what to expect the next day.”

Although, other business owners like Jose Acosta, said there is a sheriff’s substation right across the street.

“This is a safe area,” Acosta said.