Police have responded to a series of similar calls out of St. Thomas, Tillsonburg, and Ingersoll in which items have been stolen from vehicles while the driver is distracted.
According to St. Thomas police, there have been two such instances in the Elgin Centre parking lot located at 417 Wellington Street this week.
On Sunday, a woman who was shopping at Metro returned to her vehicle and was reportedly approached by two men who said there was something stuck in her tire. While assessing the damage, police say one of the men stole the woman’s wallet. About $4,000 had been taken from her bank account before the victim could cancel her cards.
A few days later, another theft took place in the lot outside of Giant Tiger. Officers were called to the premises Wednesday afternoon for another stolen wallet. This time, police say the victim had loaded groceries into the car and placed her purse on the passenger seat when she was approached by a man asking for directions. While speaking with him, the woman alleges she heard one of the car doors close and observed a woman walking away from her vehicle. Police say the woman’s wallet was stolen from her purse.
Incidents of this nature have been reported in other areas as well. Oxford County OPP issued a warning via Twitter after being called to car thefts in Tillsonburg and Ingersoll.
OPP did not provide many details on these incidents, but confirmed that the scheme includes the vehicle occupant being distracted by someone asking questions, while another person discreetly snatches items from the vehicle.
Investigations are underway for all of these incidents. It is unclear whether the thefts or suspects are tied to one another.
As a reminder to local residents, “be aware of your surroundings and secure your valuables,” police advise. “If you are unloading groceries or fuelling your vehicle, make sure you keep your purse/wallet on your person.”
