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Arrest made in Gastonia Kohl's jewelry robbery

A Bessemer City man is facing charges related to the armed robbery of $80,000 in jewelry from a Gastonia Kohl's in mid-January.

GASTONIA, N.C. — A Bessemer City man is facing charges in connection with the armed robbery of approximately $80,000 worth of jewelry from a Gastonia Kohl's in mid-January, police said. 

Gastonia police responded to an armed robbery at Kohl's on East Franklin Boulevard on Jan. 17. Surveillance video showed the suspect, identified as 31-year-old James Randall Willard, smashing a jewelry case that had several wedding rings and other items. The suspect then pepper-sprayed an employee who approached him. 

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Willard was in jail in another county on unrelated charges when detectives identified him as the suspect, according to the Gastonia Police Department. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Willard in connection with the robbery. He's being held in the Gaston County Jail under a $52,000 bond. 

A similar robbery was reported at Kohl's in Matthews in January 2022. A suspect who stole approximately $51,000 worth of jewelry was arrested in February. 

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