Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Jewelry theft captured on video; thief captured by working reporter

Updated Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 | 5:19 p.m.

KINC footage of theft, apprehension

Reporters are taught to stay out of the news, to be observers and not participants, but sometimes being in the news is unavoidable.

On Tuesday a reporter for the Univision affiliate in Las Vegas, KINC, was accosted by a man who stole a necklace right off his neck and then fled. The reporter was working at the time and the entire incident was caught on camera.

Metro Police arrested the suspect, 27-year-old John Pridgen, a short time later.

The reporter, Diego Santiago, was working on a story near North Bonanza Road and West Rancho Drive about the life of day-laborers. He was approached by Pridgen, who he said “appeared to be on drugs.” Pridgen acted aggressively and then, video from KINC shows, grabbed a chain from around Santiago’s neck and sprinted away.

Santiago, who says in his report for KINC that the chain had “sentimental value,” chased after and tackled Pridgen, holding him down until Metro Police arrived.

Pridgen seemed to be upset the TV crew was filming and reporting near him.

Pridgen was booked into Clark County Detention Center, where he remained Wednesday afternoon on $20,000 bail. He faces one count of robbery and is scheduled to make a court appearance at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Sun reporter Brian Nordli contributed to this story.

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