W. Jordan woman charged with receiving stolen jewelry

A West Jordan woman has been charged with knowingly accepting stolen jewelry taken during an armed holdup of a Murray business last December.

Melanie Darlene Bixby, 24, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with one second-degree felony count of receiving stolen property, specifically more than $6,000 worth of rings taken Dec. 23, 2011, from the Sierra West Jewelry Store at 6190 S. State St., Murray.

Police are still looking for two male suspects who robbed the store at gunpoint. The pair wore gloves and masks during the robbery, during which the manager was forced to open the store's safe. In addition to jewelry, the thieves also took an unspecified amount of cash, and stole other items after smashing display cases.

No one was injured and the two suspects fled in a getaway vehicle driven by a third suspect.

According to a probable-cause statement filed with the charge, detectives served a search warrant on Bixby's home in West Jordan on June 6. The stolen jewelry was located in her safe, prosecutors allege.

Bixby admitted to investigators that she was "pretty sure the rings were stolen," the statement notes.

remims@sltrib.com