Police Warn Against Purse Snatchers

Shoppers are being warned by the Hawai’i Police Department against leaving handbags unattended in shopping carts.

Authorities say that several reports have come in involving elderly female shoppers who had their purses removed from shopping carts while they were distracted at various stores in Hilo.

“We are advising women to keep their handbags on their person while out in public to avoid being a target of theft,” Lieutenant Gregoary Esteban from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section said. “Often, the theft of a handbag can lead to additional crimes, such as unauthorized use of a credit card and identity theft.”

Esteban adds that it doesn’t take long for a bag to be snatched from a cart.

The recent incidents are being actively investigated.

Anyone who is a victim of purse snatching should report the incident immediately by call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.