Armed robbery suspect accused of punching woman, stealing her rings arrested after pawning jewelry: SPPD

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Police have arrested a man they say attacked a woman and stole her rings as she was walking in St. Petersburg last week.

Woman attacked and robbed

The backstory:

On January 27, a 65-year-old woman was walking on 17th Avenue Southeast and Bay Street Southeast around 2 p.m. when police say a man armed with a knife attacked and robbed her.

Surveillance video shows the suspect passing the victim, then turning around and approaching her.

65-year-old woman robbed in broad daylight

The St. Petersburg Police Department released surveillance video they say shows the moments before a man attacked a 65-year-old woman, then robbed her in the middle of the afternoon.

Police say within seconds, the man grabbed her, punched her in the stomach, and cut her arm.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the suspect then placed her ring finger in his mouth to forcibly remove the rings from her finger.

The arrest

Dig deeper:

Police say the suspect pawned the rings shortly after the robbery at a pawn shop in Pinellas Park, where he provided his driver's license and thumbprint.

That’s how police say they identified the suspect as Timothy Gipson, Jr.