POLICE have warned shoppers not to leave bags or wallets unattended after a wallet was snatched from a trolley at Woolworths, Mount Eliza on Tuesday 4 April.
A woman has told police she was shopping at the store around 2.40pm when she discovered a red wallet was missing from her trolley – ironically the woman’s elderly mother had left it with her daughter for safe keeping.
After checking store CCTV, police said a man could be seen allegedly circling the aisles and following the woman while he appeared to look for items on the shelves.
He is then seen taking the wallet containing cash and cards while the unsuspecting shopper is picking something from a shelf. He exits the store through the self-serve aisle, all within six minutes of the woman entering the store.
Police have confirmed that the woman’s cards were used at nearby petrol stations shortly after.
The offender is described as around 175 centimetres, 40 years, wearing a light blue t-shirt with a red logo, black shorts and a black cap.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 11 April 2023