As the busy holiday shopping season gets under way, police have an important reminder for shoppers to keep an eye on their valuable belongings.
In the last two weeks, at two separate Whole Foods stores, women have had their wallets stolen from open purses.
Thursday afternoon, at the Preston Forest Village store, a woman sat down to eat and left her purse open on a seat behind her. The wallet was gone and she didn’t realize it until she went to pay for groceries later.
Shopper Stephanie Drake can relate.
“I try to keep my purse mostly on my arm, but like when I'm here, sometimes I put it in the basket, because I have it in in front of me, and I'm looking at it. But it's true, once I go to a bin I'm looking away from the basket,” said Drake.
Last week, at the Highland Park store, a woman had her wallet stolen from an open purse and didn’t realize it until she went to the register.
“Sometimes I can be careless, also. You just get busy with life,” said Drake.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Off-duty police officers patrol those stores, but the heist usually happens so fast, the thief is gone before the victim even realizes the crime occurred.
“Someone just walks up behind you, when your back is turned. How long does it take for them to make a trip up the aisle and out the front of the store and down the road? No time,” said Sgt. Lance Koppa, with the Highland Park Department of Public Safety.
Police advise shoppers to keep their purses on their shoulders and zipped up at all times.
