(WBAP/KLIF) – Three North Texas Police departments are investigating purse snatching crimes that are believed to be linked to one another.
The Arlington Police Department has recently responded to nearly a dozen incidents involving suspects who appear to be targeting women at various retail location centers in East Arlington. Investigators believe that the suspects are the same persons profiled by the Grand Prairie Police Department earlier this week. Detectives said that over the past month, the suspects typically target areas where predominantly Asian businesses are located in order to steal a woman’s purse. While no weapons have been used up to this point, these incidents are very concerning to investigators and the public. Arlington Lieutenant Chris Cook said similar crimes have been reported in Irving.
“All three cities are seeing similar descriptions of the suspects and similar motives,” said Lt. Cook. “You’re talking everything from misdemeanor thefts to felony offenses.”
The most recent incident in Arlington occurred Tuesday in the 2400 block of E. Pioneer Parkway. Investigators are asking for the the public’s help in identifying the suspect seen in a video captured by a surveillance camera outside the location. The video shows one of the suspects exiting a vehicle and quickly opening a door of another car. He then takes the purse and flees the area. The suspect vehicle is believed to a be a white Chevy Impala.
In some Arlington cases, the suspects actually steal the purses from a female’s hands or arms as they are walking in the parking lot while other cases involve the theft of purses from the passenger seats of vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police.
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