Two Toronto residents have been charged in the theft of $25,000 worth of diamond earrings from a Shoppers World jewelry store in April.

Peel Regional Police say they arrested two suspects June 5 and charged them with the April 8 theft, and a Dec. 28 theft of 20 Samsung cellphones from a store in the Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga.

Video surveillance photographs were released by police.

The owner of the store said a man and woman distracted employees and stole the jewelry.

The man came in first and said he was waiting for his wife, said the store’s owner, who did not want to be identified.

When the employees were occupied with other customers, they reached over the counter and inside the showcase, removing the earrings.

They walked out, and the store employees noticed the theft a short time later.

“They had a great plan,” the owner said. “They were just hanging around, looking at earrings, saying they didn’t need help …”

The store has changed the way it does things, he said.

“You learn every day,” he said.