Distraction thefts targeting unsuspecting SoCal shoppers

Distraction thefts targeting unsuspecting SoCal shoppers

We have your regular hold up, car jacking’s, smash and grabs and the run of the mill robbery of a convenience stores.  Now, since government is allowing thefts of up to $950 without punishment, we have a new type of crime.

“Armstrong said the first thing she does when unloading groceries into her car is to place her purse on the front passenger seat before closing the door.

But before she could enter the driver’s side of her car, suddenly a man interrupted her.

“As I was starting to walk to put my cart in the corral, a man who was up there, towards the market, he said, ‘Lady! Someone bumped into your car with a trolley,’” Armstrong recalled.

A woman whose purse and credit cards were stolen in a matter of moments became the latest victim of distraction thefts in Orange County.”

The good news is that for the first time, Gov. Newsom has declared himself an opponent of crime!  After years of supporting criminals, he is now opposed to them.  Sounds like a great candidate for President.

Distraction thefts targeting unsuspecting SoCal shoppers

Protesters jump on a street sign near a burning barricade during a demonstration against the death of George Floyd near the White House on May 31, 2020 in Washington, DC. – Thousands of National Guard troops patrolled major US cities after five consecutive nights of protests over racism and police brutality that boiled over into arson and looting, sending shock waves through the country. The death Monday of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis ignited this latest wave of outrage in the US over law enforcement’s repeated use of lethal force against African Americans — this one like others before captured on cellphone video. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Vivian ChowChip Yost, KTLA,  9/14/23    https://ktla.com/news/local-news/orange-county-thieves-target-unsuspecting-shoppers-in-distraction-thefts/

A woman whose purse and credit cards were stolen in a matter of moments believes she is the latest victim of a distraction theft in Southern California.

The theft trend targets unsuspecting shoppers where thieves may engage the victim in conversation while another accomplice quickly and discreetly takes their personal items.

Cheryl Armstrong believes she was recently targeted while grocery shopping at a Ralph’s supermarket in Anaheim Hills.

Armstrong said the first thing she does when unloading groceries into her car is to place her purse on the front passenger seat before closing the door.

But before she could enter the driver’s side of her car, suddenly a man interrupted her.

“As I was starting to walk to put my cart in the corral, a man who was up there, towards the market, he said, ‘Lady! Someone bumped into your car with a trolley,’” Armstrong recalled.

  • Ralph’s market in Anaheim Hills, California. (KTLA)Read More »
  • A woman whose purse and credit cards were stolen in a matter of moments became the latest victim of distraction thefts in Orange County. (KTLA)Read More »
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  • Security video of suspects targeting a woman at a Ralph’s in Irvine when she leaves her purse unattended inside her cart on Sept. 13, 2023. (Irvine Police Department)Read
  • A woman whose purse and credit cards were stolen in a matter of moments became the latest victim of distraction thefts in Orange County. (KTLA)Read More »

He then approached her vehicle and began pointing out the scratches. That’s when Armstrong believed his accomplice opened the passenger door and stole her phone, which also doubled as a wallet, from her purse.

Before Armstrong even noticed the disappearance, she said her cards had already been used to rack up thousands of dollars in purchases from a Best Buy store down the street.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said.

Armstrong’s incident mirrors a similar distraction theft that happened at a Ralph’s market in Irvine.

Video captures thief attacking elderly woman in violent Chinatown robbery

On Wednesday, Irvine police released a security video of an older woman shopping when she left her purse unattended inside her cart.

A man nearby quickly rifles through her purse to grab her wallet. Before the man has time to escape with the wallet, the woman turns around. He quickly hides the wallet on a shelf to avoid suspicion. Later on, a female accomplice walks up to the same shelf to retrieve the stolen wallet.

It’s unclear whether the same suspects were connected to the Anaheim Hills theft, but police are continuing to investigate. The thieves involved in the Irvine incident remain at large.

Anyone with information can call Anaheim Police at 714-765-1900 or email Irvine Police at [email protected].

2 thoughts on “Distraction thefts targeting unsuspecting SoCal shoppers

  1. It’s OK – your belongings no longer belong to you, and you should give them to anyone else who wants them – that seems to be the Marxist standard that is applied today. Just where is this world going?

  2. These poor people are just trying to secure their daily bread. They are not responsible for stealing because they deserve to live. The victims are just collateral damage and their personal property or safety do not matter compared to the honorable thieves who don’t receive enough societal assistance.

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