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View Winners → Woman targeted in grocery store wallet theft
Arcadia Weekly May 01, 2014
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On Friday, April 11, 2014, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a call for service regarding a theft. The female victim reported while shopping at a grocery store located on the 24200 block of Magic Mountain Parkway her wallet was stolen from her purse by an unknown suspect. The victim’s purse was in a shopping cart in the upper basket area while she shopped inside the store. The victim was approached by a woman who asked her a couple of questions. She answered the questions and the woman walked away. Shortly after speaking with the woman, the victim noticed her wallet was stolen. The victim believes the woman spoke to her with the intent to distract her so a second suspect could steal her wallet.
Following the theft of the wallet, an unidentified suspect used the victims’ credit cards to purchase several thousand dollars- worth of merchandise at a nearby retail location in the same shopping center. The purchase appears to have taken place mere minutes after the theft of the wallet.
Detectives from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station initiated an immediate investigation into the theft and fraudulent use of the victim’s credit card. The investigation revealed a female (pictured in the attached photograph) entered the retail location posing as the victim and used her credit cards to purchase items.
Detectives are still trying to determine if the suspect shown in the attached photographs worked alone or with a crime partner (second suspect).
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Deputies are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the female seen in the attached photograph. If you have any information regarding these incidents please contact Detective Marino at 661-255-1121 or atMTMarino@lasd.org – If you wish to remain anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the websitehttp://lacrimestoppers.org
Lastly, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Deputies want to remind you that purses or wallets taken from shopping carts in grocery and other stores is a fairly common crime. It doesn’t take a lot of inattention for a stealth thief to quietly steal a purse or wallet. Do not leave your purse unattended for even a second. Be aware of where your purse is and whether anyone is around. Keep the top of your purse snapped and secured so a thief can’t reach in and snatch your wallet. Please also remember to maintain your purse vigilance as you load groceries into your car.
