FRANKLIN—Police followed a trail of blood to find the suspect in a break-in at Smith Jewelers in downtown Franklin Monday night.

Police responded to the store on Second Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. and found that someone had knocked out a section of glass from the front of the store and stolen an imitation diamond ring. In the process, the burglar suffered a severe cut to his arm and left a trail of blood when he fled the area.

“That’s how they found him,” said Franklin Police Lt. Tim Whitt. “They followed the blood trail.”

Police found the suspect, 21-year-old Jermaine Jenkins of Center Street, on Cameron Street and called paramedics who took him to Southampton Memorial Hospital for treatment. Officers continued the investigation and Jenkins was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary. He was taken to Western Tidewater Regional Jail with a $5,000 secure bond.

Billy Smith, the owner of Smith Jewelers, got a call shortly after police arrived.

Smith said that the stolen ring looked like a real diamond but was “basically glass.”

“To be honest, I thought it was pretty stupid,” he said. “The kid could’ve bled to death.”