Anti-cupid jeweler nabbed in alleged ring heist scheme: Weddings ruined

A jeweler who ruined numerous nuptials has been arrested by Irvine Police for allegedly stealing wedding and engagement rings worth more than $40,000 from his customers.

Authorities said a number of weddings had to be postponed when the jeweler’s victims could not get their rings back from the store.

Daniel Cervantes, 27, who operated under business names including Diamonds are Forever and Cervantes Jewelers, is suspected of seven counts of grand theft, according to the Irvine Police Department.

Cervantes is accused of stealing jewelry from at least four customers, including a friend who gave him a 2-carat platinum ring to polish, Irvine police Public Information Officer Kim Mohr said.

“The ring had been passed down for generations and was to be used in a marriage proposal,” Mohr said. “Cervantes never returned the ring.”

Another victim bought a ring from Cervantes and later took it back to him for appraisal “and never saw it again,” Mohr said.

“The value of the items stolen in this case exceeds $40,000,” Mohr said.

“In all of the cases, the victims were referred to Cervantes by friends (who) knew him personally. When the victims would ask Cervantes for their property, he would give excuses as to why the item had not been returned. In all of the cases, the victims’ weddings were postponed due to the theft.”

Cervantes was known to live in Irvine and Santa Ana, where he listed business addresses that weren’t legitimate, according to Mohr, who said the rings have not been recovered. Cervantes was arrested Thursday.

—City News Service