First published in the March 26 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
Authorities charged two suspects with stealing purses in Los Angeles County, including the city of Burbank, the Burbank Police Department said.
Burbank police believe the two suspects, whom the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged on Tuesday, are responsible for purse thefts at Costco on Feb. 25. Officers discovered then that the purse thefts occurred while two women — in separate incidents — were placing groceries in their respective vehicles after shopping, the BPD said in a news release.
Officers soon received a report that a third purse was stolen at the Walmart at 1301 N. Victory Place, with a woman saying her bag was taken while she was loading her vehicle. The woman, the BPD noted, was able to see and document the license plate of the suspect’s vehicle.
Investigators searched a Woodland Hills home they believed belonged to the suspects, where the department said authorities found evidence linking the suspects to the crimes at Costco and Walmart, as well as other similar crimes throughout Los Angeles County.
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office filed three counts of grand theft, two counts of petty theft and one count of identity theft against each suspect. One of the suspects was due to appear in court this week.
