Deepa Bharath
NEWPORT BEACH -- Police are looking for a woman suspected of pilfering
unattended purses and wallets, mostly in local bars and restaurants over
the last six months.
The thefts have been happening on a regular basis, said Newport Beach
Police Det. Darcy Andelin.
"We've had at least a couple a week," he said. "It's been a continual
problem."
The woman, who is described as 5-foot-2 with light-colored hair, was
last seen Dec. 6 on a security camera recording at Robinsons-May in
Fashion Island, police said..
She was using stolen credit cards to buy clothing worth about $1,500,
officials said.
The same woman also was caught on tape at an Albertsons in Newport
Beach on Dec. 2, Andelin said.
"She tried to use stolen cards there too," he said. "But it didn't
work, and she left with [another] other woman."
In most cases, the woman tries to use the cards minutes after she
steals them, Andelin said.
Officials said the biggest challenge in arresting such criminals is
the rapid speed at which they operate.
Victims are often people who leave their bags dangling on a chair or
those who place their wallets on a bar counter and turn the other way, he
said.
"Mostly the [thief] reaches into a bag and steals a purse or wallet
from the bag," Andelin said. "So by the time the victim realizes it's
gone, a day has passed."
The woman may also have worked with others, he said. Three men and a
woman have been seen accompanying her at various times.
The incidents tend to occur Friday and Saturday nights, when bars and
restaurants are busiest, he added.
Anybody with information is asked to call Andelin at (949) 644-3762.
