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Shoppers beware, purses being stolen from shopping carts

MEDIA RELEASE

Since February, police have received several reports of elderly female shoppers who had purses removed from shopping carts at various stores in Hilo while the shoppers’ backs were turned momentarily. The thefts are being actively investigated.

Lieutenant Gregory Esteban from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section said it only takes seconds for someone to snatch a bag out of a cart while the shopper is turned away to select an item from a shelf.

“We are advising women to keep their handbags on their person while out in public to avoid being a target of theft,” Esteban said. “Often, the theft of a handbag can lead to additional crimes, such as unauthorized use of a credit card and identity theft.”

Police encourage anyone who is the victim of a purse snatching to report it immediately by calling the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.

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