She was recently arrested — again.
You might think that the chief executive of a jewelry company would be quick to condemn someone who steals jewels for a living.
But that’s not the case for Alfredo Molina, CEO and chairman of Molina Fine Jewelers in Arizona, KPNX-TV reports.
He’s met Doris Payne, who has frequently made headlines for her long history as a jewelry thief, and he says she “has a good soul.”
Payne, 86, was recently taken into custody and charged with shoplifting in Dunwoody, GA. She’s been arrested many times over the decades in the U.S. and several other countries, including Switzerland and France.
Molina met Payne during the making of the 2013 documentary of “The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne,” according to KPNX.
He learned that when she was growing up, there was abuse in her household. When she was young, she stole a diamond and “sold it for cash and was able to have her mother leave that home.”
He says she’s a product of “the shortcomings of our society.”
It’s not clear whether Payne ever stole from Molina’s company.
He said: “My feeling is that if she had stolen something from me, she needs it more than I do.”
That said, he still believes she should face the consequences of her alleged crimes if she’s guilty, according to the news station.
Read more at KPNX.