Uptown Dallas Thefts Lead to Crime Warning

Dallas police are warning people to keep a close eye on their valuables as the weather warms up.

Police say three recent thefts may be connected to a series of summer crimes last year. The department issued a crime watch alert Thursday.

Two of the latest crimes occurred at bars across the street from each other on McKinney Avenue Tuesday at about 1 a.m.

Witnesses saw two young men on the patio at the Black Friar Pub at 2621 McKinney Ave.

One went into the kitchen and stole an employee’s cell phone and iPod, according to a police report.

The two men then were seen across the street at the Idle Rich Pub at 2622 McKinney Ave, where a police said they took a woman's purse from the sidewalk patio.

The owner of Dallas Fine Wines at 3518 Oak Lawn Ave., said two young men grabbed his cell phone at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

"They just came like they wanted to buy something, and then they looked young to me," Harshad Lalloobhai said.

He said he asked them for identification, and one created a diversion while the other man reached over the counter and took the phone.

"You have to beware and we were, you know," Lalloobhai said. "My customer told me, 'Hey, these guys don’t look like they came to buy something. But what do you do? What else do you do? We try to chase them out."

Central Patrol Lt. Thomas Castro, who issued the e-mail alert, said the same two men could be responsible for other crimes last summer.

"They hit several businesses -- not just bars, but all business types," the e-mail said.

Police spokesman Senior Cpl. Jonathan Crump said anyone who notices suspicious activity should call 911.

"Always pay attention to the people coming in, and if they're not doing business as usual, that may be a cue for anybody that's in there," he said.

He said crooks appreciate the return of warm weather, too.

"We've had a lot that's kept them in, so they're all starting to come out and do their business as usual," Crump said.

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