85-year-old internationally-known jewel thief arrested in Atlanta

ATLANTA -- An alleged international jewel thief has been arrested after police say she slipped a pricey pair of earrings into her pocket at an upscale shopping mall in Atlanta.

A police report says 85-year-old Doris Payne, of Long Beach, California, stole a $690 pair of earrings Friday afternoon at the Saks Fifth Avenue at a mall in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead neighborhood.

Police say a store security guard saw Payne on surveillance video, and she was caught shortly after leaving the store.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether Payne has a lawyer. She faces a charge of theft by shoplifting and was booked into the Fulton County jail.

According to CBS affiliate WGCL-TV, police have called Payne a "career criminal." After being shown various diamond rings, she would allegedly confuse store clerks to the point where they would forget how many items they'd taken out to show. Only then would she take an item, according to the station.

Police say she is wanted for a similar offense in North Carolina.

According to WGCL-TV, she has admitted to stealing jewels from Paris, Monaco and Tokyo. At age 83, she allegedly tried to steal a $40,000 ring in California.