Woman has wallet stolen while in line at Irvine Spectrum Center
IRVINE, Calif. - Police are issuing a warning after security footage captured a woman in line at an Irvine shopping center having her wallet stolen from her purse while she was in line.
The Irvine Police Department shared the video on its Instagram account. In the video, a woman is seen in line for the Carousel at the Spectrum Center last month. Two people are seen getting in line behind the woman, then slipping into her purse and snatching her wallet.
The department is using the robbery as a teaching moment, sharing tips on how to protect yourself from a situation like this.
Credit: irvinepolice via Instagram
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Specifically, the department offers three tips to keep your belongings safe in public:
- First, keep your distance from strangers
- Next, make sure your purse or backpack is zipped shut
- Finally, specifically when grocery shopping, the IPD says not to keep your purse in your shopping cart, because thieves can access it while you're distracted.
Meanwhile, anyone who has any information about the thiefs was asked to contact investigators by emailing mricci@cityofirvine.org.