On Tuesday April 10th, 2018 a woman was shopping at the Longos grocery store located at 1079 Maple Avenue in the town of Milton when two men attempted to steal her purse.
The incident occurred at 2:31pm in the parking lot of the store. As the female exited the store she was distracted by a male while another male attempted to steal her purse. Two sharp eyed women in an adjacent medical center observed the act and ran out yelling and screaming at the two males. The male suspects subsequently fled empty handed.
Upon Police arrival, the follow up investigation quickly revealed that there were actually three male suspects all working together to facilitate this crime. A third male was observed to be following the female throughout the store and actually bumped into her with his cart. The male was observed to attend the cash check out with the female. He was utilizing a cellular phone and appeared to be watching the female as she paid for items.
When the female finished paying the suspects followed her out into the parking lot and distracted her, attempting to steal her purse. That’s when the two witnesses intervened.
“An amazing example of citizens looking out for each other and being aware of their surroundings. The quick actions of the witnesses in this case thwarted the theft,” said Detective Sergeant Dave Costantini One District Criminal Investigations Bureau. “The witnesses made the right decision in not physically confronting these reprehensible perpetrators. Making lots of noise and calling attention to the situation proved to be all that was needed in this situation.”
The suspects are described as:
Suspect 1: Light blue puffy jacket, dark hat, brown skin, black hair and spoke with an undetermined accent.
Suspect 2: Red puffy jacket, dark hat, brown skin, black hair and spoke with an undetermined accent.
Suspect 3: Brown skin, black hair, black baseball cap with a logo
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222- 477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
PROTECT YOUR PURSE
- Leave your SIN Card, Passport and birth certificate at home
- Keep your handbag with you at all times
- Never leave your purse or wallet unattended
- Keep purse zippers or snaps closed
- Be extra vigilant in crowded locations
- Keep your wallet at the bottom of your bag
- Never write down PIN codes or passwords and keep them in your purse
- Have a different PIN for each credit/debit card
- Avoid carrying large amounts of money
- Bring only what you need. Don’t carry extra cards or cash with you
- Don’t get distracted. Thieves work in teams
- Be aware of your surroundings. Report any suspicious activity to police
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