The ‘hugging bandit’ was just arrested in Florida. Her gesture wasn’t friendly, cops say
An overly affectionate Florida woman apparently had other motives, police say.
According to a Facebook post from the Clearwater Police Department, Kathy Stevens, aka “the hugging bandit,” was arrested Thursday.
Cops gave the suspect the nickname, which originally comes from the 1948 movie “The Kissing Bandit,” starring Frank Sinatra as a wimp who finds out his father was a thief whose trademark was kissing his female victims. The moniker was later used for Morganna, a ‘70s entertainer who used to rush sports fields to smooch professional players.
Stevens, 65, is accused of approaching “older men” outside stores, pretending to know them, then going in for a hug. During the embrace, Stevens “would help herself to their wallets and credit cards,” authorities say, referring to at least four instances.
The post also includes screenshots of surveillance footage of her allegedly using stolen credit cards taken from the person she had just hugged.
Stevens, who faces more than a dozen charges, has apparently been pulling her sketchy public displays of affection in the Tampa Bay area as well.
The senior citizen is behind bars at Pinellas County Jail awaiting trial on $113,750 bail, according to court records.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 12:38 PM.
