“Office Creeper” Steals Business Owner's Wallet

An Addison businesswoman hopes someone will recognize the "office creeper" she caught on surveillance camera.

The man sneaked into Rosanne Regenscheid's hair restoration company while she was shampooing a client.

"The word would be 'creepy,' real creepy," Regenscheid said. "And for him to do it, so quietly, knowing I was in the back room -- creepy."

Surveillance video from the lobby of her Addison office shows the man digging through her unattended purse at the reception desk.

Regenscheid said she remembers thinking that she heard something but dismissed it because she was busy at the time.

Six hours later, she realized her wallet and cellphone were gone.

"It's stressful," she said. "You're trying to remember, 'How many credit cards did I have in there? Who do I call first?' It's just such an invasion of your privacy."

Police say so-called "office creepers" rely on the anonymity of busy office complexes to cover their crimes. While many women put their purse in a file cabinet, it's usually the first place office creepers look, police say.

The crook spent more than $1,000 in a matter of minutes, hitting a gas station, drugstore and two grocery stores.

"The detective told me the reason they go to grocery stores is because they're buying gift cards, so they can't be tracked," Regenscheid said.

But considering how clear the surveillance video is, police shouldn't have too much trouble tracking him.

"We couldn't believe it," Regenscheid said. "It was the clearest video we'd ever seen, and even the police said it was the best video they had ever seen."

Anyone who recognizes the thief is asked to call Addison police.