Pickpockets at Dallas restaurants stole the wallets of several women right out of their purses, police say.
According to Dallas police reports, three wallets have been stolen at restaurants in the past week. Gale Florence's wallet was stolen while she was at Bowen's Cafe Expresso in Preston Center. The two other cases occurred at nearby restaurants in The Pavilion on Lovers Lane.
"I just didn't expect it here, because we go there every Tuesday," Florence said. "We know just about everybody that's in there."
She said her purse was hanging on the side of her chair. She said she knows it was open "because the zipper is such a pain."
Florence said she didn't realize her wallet was missing until her husband got a fraud alert from American Express the next day.
"Then he came and he got me and he said, 'Where's your wallet? And I said, 'It's in my purse.' And he said, 'No it's not,' and I'm going, 'Yes, it is.'"
By then, the thief had already done hundreds of dollars in damages. Florence and her husband have spent the past three days trying to clear their name.
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"It's very inconvenient," she said. "I mean, it's a pain in the rear."
Florence has had to cancel her credit cards, get a new driver's license and replace her Social Security card.
The owner of Bowen's Restaurant told NBC 5 that regrets the theft happened at her restaurant.
Police say it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your wallet.
NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg contributed to this report.
