Granny Gem Thief Doris Payne Arrested By DeKalb Fugitive Squad: Report

DUNWOODY, GA -- Law enforcement officials arrested alleged jewelry thief Doris Payne on Monday, a week after she failed to appear in court, Patch has learned.

Payne, internationally known for her exploits in lifting diamonds from the most upscale stores, was due in DeKalb County Magistrate Court last week relating to an alleged theft of a pair of Christian Dior earrings from a Saks Fifth Avenue store in 2015 -- but she didn't make it.

After she failed to appear, the judge issued a warrant for her arrest, according to news reports.

Her attorney has told local media that Payne, 86, is in poor health and has been on bed rest. Evidently, the judge was not satisfied with that answer.

On Monday, Payne was taken into custody by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit, according to WAGA-TV.

Payne has a long history of mischief, including being wanted in several states and even internationally for shoplifting and other offenses. Her exploits border on the comical -- she reportedly pulled off a heist in Switzerland and escaped "through cornfields" -- to the improbable -- she once claimed to have lifted a 10-carat, $545,000 diamond ring out of Monte Carlo in the early 1970s.

Her six-decade criminal career is chronicled in a 2013 documentary streaming on Netflix.

Image via DeKalb Sheriff's Office