Doris Payne is a notorious jewel thief who has been arrested several times over the years, with her first arrest taking place in the 1950s. The nicknamed 86-year-old "Granny Gem Thief" was taken into custody once again on Monday after allegedly shoplifting from a Georgia Walmart store.

Latest arrest for ‘Granny Gem Thief’ in Chamblee, Georgia

While Payne is renowned for her gem heists, she was caught at around 5 p.m. on Monday in Chamblee, Georgia after stealing items with a value of $86.22 from the electronics department and pharmacy at the Chamblee Walmart store and has been charged with a misdemeanor.

However, in the past she has been known for a string of thefts where she stole jewelry worth around $2 million. According to NBC News, while Payne was released on a bond on Monday, she was taken into custody again on Tuesday.

NBC News and the Chamblee Police quote Payne as saying she hadn’t stolen the items but had merely forgotten to pay for them while visiting the Walmart store to buy her medicine. She told NBC News she had taken some medication prior to shopping at Walmart and her mind got muddled. Payne said she did pick up items, but because she didn’t have a basket, she had placed them in her shopping bag and then forgot to tell the cashier about the items before she left the store.

Ankle monitor in place from previous probation

Payne was wearing an ankle monitor from a previous infraction at the time of her arrest after she had been let out of prison in DeKalb County on probation. According to Drew Findling, Payne’s attorney, the 86-year-old was only two weeks away from completing her probation and the removal of the ankle monitor.

Findling went on to tell WFAA that Payne had no jewelry on her when arrested at Walmart. He said she was just an elderly woman who needed her medicine and a few groceries to get by.

He said the incident is nothing like what Payne has done in the past and that they are going to view a surveillance video to see what exactly happened in the store. Findling wants to establish whether this was, in fact, a theft or maybe an incident caused by forgetfulness.

Crime history spanning decades

According to CBS News, Payne’s crime history involves several jewelry heists spanning more than five decades and two continents. In the more recent arrests, Payne was taken into custody in October 2015 in Atlanta over the theft of earrings worth $700 from the Phipps Plaza Saks Fifth Avenue store. She was released on bond at the time but was again arrested in December 2016 for shoplifting at the Perimeter Mall in Georgia.

In that incident, Payne had tried to steal a necklace with a value of almost $2,000 from the Van Maur department store.

Payne has always been of interest in the media with crimes dating back to the 1950s. So much so, a documentary film was made about the "Granny Gem Thief" in 2013, titled, “The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne.” The documentary gave details of her various jewelry heists and many arrests and in the film, she said there had never been a day when she went to steal something she wanted and didn't get it. In the film’s trailer, Payne said she has no regrets about stealing the jewelry, she only regrets getting caught.
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