Men captured on video in Gastonia pickpocketing a woman at grocery store

GASTONIA, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — Gastonia Police are warning people to protect their belongings when out in public after video captures men pickpocketing a woman at a grocery store.

According to officers, a women had her purse stolen at a Publix on Hoffman Road in Gastonia around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.

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In the video below, the man in the blue hoodie at the bottom of the screen is watching the victim- the woman at the food counter- while the other suspect- the man in the purple shirt, blue hat and a COVID mask. When the woman turns to her right, the man in the purple shirt takes her wallet out of her purse from the top of the shopping cart.

Police say within 30 minutes, the man in the blue hoodie and a third suspect in a white shirt are seen at a nearby Home Depot buying gift cards with the woman’s credit/debit cards. In this instance, the man in the blue hoodie is distracting employees, while the man in the white shirt purchases the gift cards at self-checkout.

Three transactions were made involving gift cards that amounted to a total of $2,850.48, police said.

According to Gastonia Police, these suspects have not been identified and no arrests have been made yet.

Detectives want to remind everyone to protect their belongings when out in public. Police say:

1. Don’t become an easy target- always zip your purse/pocketbook
2. Never turn away leaving your belongings out of sight or unprotected- be aware of who is around you and take note of people who may be lingering nearby.
3. Minimize how much cash you carry in your wallet/purse.

Police also want to stress that just because these suspects were men, that doesn’t mean theft suspects are always men. These crimes can happen to anyone, by anyone, and anywhere.

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