SOUTH BURLINGTON — Police are searching for a suspect who they say threatened employees of a department store after he was spotted stealing jewelry.

South Burlington police said Wednesday they were called to the Sears store at the University Mall after a store loss prevention officer said the suspect threatened to use pepper spray on the workers.

The incident was captured on store video.

Police say the suspect appears to be a stocky white male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a goatee.

Police say the suspect was seen approaching a car in the parking lots, at which time an occupant inside the vehicle said to the suspect: “You had better not have been stealing.”