Publix Shoppers Targeted By Serial Purse Bandit

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL -- Jacksonville Beach Detectives are urging women shoppers to hang tight to their purses while grocery shopping after seven women lost their cash and credit cards to the same female bandit.

"They found out that in the last couple of months this same female has been preying on innocent shoppers, or unsuspecting shoppers in Publix Supermarkets from Orange County to Clay County to Jacksonville and out here to Jax Beach!" said Jacksonville Beach Police Public Information Officer, Thom Bingham.

Police say the woman would pretend to be shopping, and wait for another shopper to leave their purse unattended on a cart. She would then quickly steal the wallet from the purse and bee-line out the door.

And police say, in several cases, the victims did not even have time to cancel their credit cards before someone had maxed them out.

Shopper Marilyn Loughran was robbed years ago and she doesn't want it to happen again.

"I keep my purse on my shoulder and I keep it zipped, and I do not leave it in the cart!"

Shopper Marilyn Freedman takes the child safety belt and literally ties her bag to the cart.

"I feel safer. I can turn around and look at something on a shelf and not worry that someone's going to grab it. And I just feel more secure that way!"

Take one more look to see if you can help lead police to arrest this Publix purse bandit.

"It only takes a split second for somebody to come by and steal your identity, steal your credit cards, --take whatever they want from you," said Sergeant Bingham.

"This is a dangerous person who's just preying on innocent victims. It's screwing up their livelihood. It's screwing up their credit. It's screwing up their ability to go out and live a happy life."