Vancouver senior targeted by distraction thieves in own backyard
Man and woman force costume jewellery at 77-year-old woman, make away with gold bracelet
Vancouver police are warning the public after a 77-year-old senior was the target of a distraction theft in her own backyard in East Vancouver last weekend.
Police say the victim was gardening on Saturday, July 20, at around 11 a.m., when a man and woman drove up to the Cedar Cottage neighbourhood property in an SUV.
The woman got out of the vehicle, approached her and forced several pieces of costume jewellery into the senior's hands.
The victim resisted the woman, told her to leave, only later to discover her gold bracelet had been taken off her wrist.
Fortunately, the senior was not injured in the attack.
Two suspects
The female suspect is described as:
- 35 to 45 years old, with olive skin
- Five feet three inches tall with brown, shoulder-length hair
- Wearing dark floral-patterned dress with sandals and bright red nail polish
The male suspect who was driving is described as:
- South Asian with darker skin
- Wearing black baseball cap, polo shirt
Police say distraction thieves are often successful, because suspects will use the element of surprise to confuse and overwhelm their victims, who often don't realize items have been stolen until the thieves have already left.
The Major Crime Section is now investigating the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to call VPD's Major Crime Section at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.