Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a North Port man around 2 p.m. Wednesday after he stole a $6,930 gold necklace from a Port Charlotte jewelry store and fled in a taxi he called earlier. Arrested was Joshua Thomas Roberts, 22, 2604 S. Cranberry Blvd.

A Punta Gorda Police Officer traveling through Port Charlotte was flagged down Wednesday by the owner and an employee of Willis Jewelers, 2751 Tamiami Trail. The owner told the PGPD officer the passenger in a white Lincoln Town car operated by Charlotte County Taxi, had stolen the necklace and jumped into the taxi. The owner pointed to the taxi’s direction of travel and the policeman quickly made a traffic stop on the taxi at U.S. 41 and Gardner Blvd. The officer then contacted CCSO at 2 p.m.

A CCSO deputy responded at the traffic stop and met with the jewelry store owner at the scene. He positively identified Roberts as the man who came into his store and inquired about the gold necklace. Once in his hand, he turned, ran out the door, and jumped into the taxi. The deputy searched Roberts and located the necklace in his pants pocket. The officer talked to the taxi driver who said he got a call from Roberts to pick him up at 2811 Tamiami Trail. Roberts met with the driver in advance of the theft and told him to wait around the corner.

Roberts was charged with Grand Theft, and Violation for Probation (warrant) for an original Sarasota County charge of Burglary and Trafficking in Stolen Property. He was transported to the Charlotte County Jail where he remains on no bond and a hold for Sarasota County.