Suspected Purse Thieves Targeting Women in Oakville and Burlington

Published November 29, 2017 at 8:13 pm

A pair of suspects are being sought following a series of purse thefts at grocery stores in Oakville and Burlington.

A pair of suspects are being sought following a series of purse thefts at grocery stores in Oakville and Burlington.

Wallets and purses were swiped from unattended shopping carts, say Halton police.

The first incident took place Nov. 3 at Whole Foods at 301 Cornwall Rd. in Oakville.

While the victim left her buggy unattended for a short time, the female suspect stole the victim’s wallet while her male counterpart appeared to be acting as a look-out, investigators allege.

The pair went to Metro at 1521 Rebecca St. in Oakville on Nov. 26.

This time, the suspects stole the victim’s purse – while she left her shopping cart unattended – and the suspects quickly fled the store.

Burlington shoppers were targeted next on Nov. 27.

The suspects stole the victim’s purse while she grabbed a carton of milk in Food Basics at 3365 Fairview St.

Once again, the suspects fled the store immediately after the theft, say police.

Police are reminding residents to keep a close eye on their purses and wallets.

Residents should be aware of their surroundings and be alert for distraction type thefts when shopping in the grocery stores, malls and other retail business.

Residents are reminded to only carry the necessary identification such as a driver’s licence or health card, and should try to minimize this potential loss by leaving their SIN card, birth certificate and passports securely at home.

If you become a victim of a purse or wallet theft, here’s what to do: Contact your bank, cancel your cards, and then call the police to file a report.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Derek Gray of the 3 District criminal investigations bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2344.

Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

Images courtesy of Halton Regional Police

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