Watch a grocery shopper steal from a Florida mom’s purse. Her baby dropped it.
Anyone who has ever gone grocery shopping with a small child knows: You can get distracted.
That’s what happened on Oct. 11 to a Florida mom, who had her toddler strapped into her cart while she picked up stuff at around 5 p.m. from Green’s Market in Winter Haven.
Recently released surveillance video posted to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page Wednesday shows how a fellow shopper took advantage of just how distracted she was.
In the short clip, you see the woman perusing the refrigerated section while the toddler plays in the cart.
“The victim’s shopping helper for the day was her cute little wee-one,” begins the news release entitled “Finders Shouldn’t Be Keepers.” “The little girl started to play with Mommy’s purse while Mommy made her selection of meats.”
When the woman moves out of frame, you see a purse the child was playing with lying on the ground.
“A big bummer here is that the cute little wee-one dropped Mommy’s purse, and Mommy didn’t notice. Our detective skills tell us that the wee-one didn’t tell Mommy because Wee-one probably doesn’t say too much yet. In her defense though, she did flail that left arm repeatedly as if to say, ‘Pardon me, maternal parent. It would seem that I have mishandled your currency case, and it has descended upon the floor.’”
A short time later, a man comes into frame, noticing the purse on the floor, and picks it up.
Instead of bringing it to lost and found, as law enforcement would have hoped, the shopper starts to go through it.
“As you can see, the man picked up the purse, looked around to see if anyone was watching, then proceeded to open the purse, while apparently shielding his actions by turning away,” said the agency’s post. “Then it appears that he puts something in his pocket.”
The man walked to the cashier, paid for his items, then turned the purse over to staff, without the cash, says PCSO.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office updated the post saying that after tips flowed in from the public. the man in the video was identified and will update with details on any action that will be taken.
The amount of cash the suspect allegedly took is unclear, but the victim told officers that it was “a good bit of money.”
The majority of commenters were appalled.
“He should have done the right thing and turn in this lady’s purse with the green still in it! Shame on him!!”
“Too bad he hadn’t left his keys in the truck that she could just drive off with the truck, that will teach him.”
“Hopefully, karma will be swift and harsh.”
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 11:04 AM.
