Pickpockets in Guelph targeting women for wallets

A word of warning from Guelph police after several incidents involving a pair of pickpockets who targeted women for their wallets.

On Feb. 10, Guelph police were called about six reported thefts at various retail shops around Guelph.

All of them involved female victims who had their wallets stolen.

In most of the cases, the wallets were taken from purses that were either left in shopping carts or while the women were carrying them.

Guelph police believe two suspects were involved in the schemes with one person bumping into the victim or creating a distraction, while the other person swiped the wallet.

The victim’s debit or credit cards were then quickly used at other nearby businesses directly following the thefts.

Police have released descriptions of the two suspects, who were driving a grey Mazda hatchback.

• The male suspect is described as being in his 40s, heavy set, medium height with olive skin and a beard which was dark on the sides and white around his mouth and chin. He was wearing a dark winter jacket, grey track pants, a black toque and black shoes.

• The female suspect was described as possibly Middle Eastern, 35 to 45 years and wearing a tan jacket, grey winter hat with a large pompom, grey pants, black shoes and a black purse.
  
  Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to contact Guelph police or Crime Stoppers.