Warning about ‘distraction’ thefts in Ottawa

(Ottawa) –The Ottawa Police Service would like to warn the public about a recent series of distraction thefts that have occurred in Ottawa and other cities across Ontario, where two suspects are targeting elderly women.

The two suspects usually follow a victim into a store, observe and obtain their PIN during a purchase and then follow her out of the store to her vehicle. One of the suspects, usually a man, will distract the elderly woman by pointing to a possible issue with their vehicle, like a flat tire at the rear. While this is happening another suspect will steal the woman’s purse/wallet. Then within minutes, they attend a nearby ATM/ABM and empty the victim’s bank account.

The same suspects are believed to have done the similar thefts in Kingston, Toronto, Halton, Barrie, York and Waterloo.

The two male suspects are described as Latin American, approximately 20-35 years old, and both approximately 5’10” (178 cm). They were wearing “puffy lightweight windbreaker type jackets with the collars straight up

Over 150,000 Monthly Readers! 1 Million+ Across the entire FreePress Network.