Charges are pending against a Waimanalo man in connection with the theft of more than $22,600 worth of jewelry from a Kahala Mall department store.

The man, 48, was arrested for first-degree theft after a traffic stop by East Honolulu police at 5:15 p.m. Monday on Kalaniana'ole Highway. He was taken to The Queen's Medical Center for medical attention unrelated to the arrest, police said.

According to Hawai'i Criminal Justice Data Center records, the suspect has been convicted of 66 criminal offenses between July 1981 and October 2007. He has been arrested 153 times.

The man's most recent convictions were Oct. 8 for felony second-degree theft and misdemeanor third-degree theft. He was sentenced to one-year jail terms to run concurrently for both crimes.

The jewelry heist occurred Nov. 13 at Macy's Kahala store. The man allegedly stole a display case of diamond jewelry by using a utility tool to cut the display case cable. He walked out of the store at 6:05 p.m. carrying the case. The man was identified through closed-circuit videotapes of the alleged theft, police said.

The man was expected to be released from the hospital last night and likely will be charged today, police said.

None of the stolen jewelry has been recovered, police said.