Over the last 24 hours, Prince George RCMP noticed a spike in thefts where personal belongings are stolen while victims are distracted by an accomplice.
During the evening of Tuesday, April 2, police officers responded to a theft report from the Roll-A-Dome where officers learned that a man and a woman entered the business and stole a backpack.
One suspect distracted the victim while the other stole the backpack.
The same evening, police officers responded to two separate reports from the public informing police their purses were stolen while they were in large retail stores in Prince George.
In both cases, the victims were distracted by one suspect while another stole their purses from a shopping cart.
A man and a woman were suspects in both cases and are believed to be responsible for all three thefts.
The woman was arrested by police following the third incident. She was released on a promise to appear in court later this spring.
The male suspect has not yet been located or identified and RCMP say the investigation is continuing.
Police say they would like to remind the public to keep valuables with them at all times when shopping and whenever possible, and to place the purse strap over your head and across your body to reduce the chances of being a victim of this type of crime.
If you have any information about these thefts, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-8477 or online.
