Told that the ring was missing from a screened bin, a Transportation Security Administration supervisor reviewed surveillance video and saw the thief snatch it, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said.
Port Authority police who were called to the checkpoint watched the video, got a good look at the thief and headed in his direction, Farbstein said.
Moments later they returned to the checkpoint with the ring and the man in custody after finding him waiting to board his flight, she said.
“This is a story with a happy ending,” said Thomas Carter, the TSA's federal security director for New Jersey. "The video was sharp and there was a clear image of what the thief looked like."
Port Authority police "understood the urgency in tracking down the man before he was able to fly off," Carter said.
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