Police problem statewide inform for males thieving wallets from women’s purses in grocery retailers

ATHENS, Ga. (CBS46) — Law enforcement in Athens-Clarke County have issued a statewide warning asking persons to be on the lookout for two adult males who have been observed thieving wallets of women of all ages shoppers when they seem absent in grocery retailers.

“When I went to check out out and shell out for my groceries and my wallet was gone,” claimed Susan Longo. “Moments later on I obtained a textual content message from my financial institution that they thought I had a fraudulent cost.”

Her purse was in the major of her cart at a Publix grocery keep in Lawrenceville. She suggests she held it near to her and only turned absent briefly when the adult men, pretending to store alongside her, stole her wallet out of her purse.

“Once they bought in the retail outlet, they manufactured a b-line to where she was buying and they both equally acquired carts and they designed by themselves glance like they were procuring even choosing compact items” explained detective Nathaniel Franco, including that the males were most likely observing Longo prior to she walked into the retail outlet and made a decision she would be their concentrate on.

They took her stolen wallet toa Snellville Sam’s club in which they obtained $4,000 really worth of pre-paid reward cards using her stolen credit rating cards. Law enforcement say the males then went to Athens and did the exact issue.

“These men are on the prowl,” Longo claimed. “They are looking for men and women. They have to have been viewing me quite carefully.”

Police believe the adult men have performed the same detail in the very last few months in Augusta, Tucker and Rincon. They’re investigating statements from other law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

“It seems these folks are likely statewide to do this and the moment I begin chatting to these folks they may perhaps be going out of condition,” Franco said.

Law enforcement say the bandits seem to be focusing on women of all ages in their late 50s to early 60s who are purchasing on your own. They recommend retaining your purse on your entire body or covering it with goods in your cart to make it more difficult for probable intruders to get to.

“Now, I will be carrying my credit rating cards and anything a tiny little bit in different ways on my particular person,” Longo explained.

Police are inquiring everyone who acknowledge the two guys to occur forward with data that will assistance recognize themm.