Weekend crimes centered on Publix parking lots in Boca

BOCA RATON — City police are investigating four crimes that took place in various parking lots in the city during a 48-hour period beginning Friday night and ending Sunday evening.

One incident involved a car-jacking outside a Publix Super Market during which the victim was pushed out of her 2008 Bentley convertible and the vehicle was driven away.

The spree began Friday about 9 p.m. at the Publix at North Federal Highway and Spani sh River Boule - vard. Police said a 76-yearold woman had just loaded her groceries and was beginning to drive away when a female opened the passenger door and stole the elderly victim’s purse.

A b o u t a n h o u r l a t e r, thieves struck at the Publix at South Federal Highway and Camino Real in similar manner to the earlier incident. A 66-year-old woman had fifinished loading her groceries when a female in a maroon SUV jumped out and took the victim’s purse from a shopping cart.

B oc a Raton dete c t ive s believe the fifirst two cases a r e c o n n e c t e d , p o l i c e spokeswoman Offifficer Sandra Boonenberg said.

The third incident took pl ace Friday about 11: 30 p.m. outside the Town Center at Boca Raton mall and involved the stolen Bentley. A 44-year-old Miami Beach woman was leaving a restaurant in the mall and had just gotten inside the vehicle when a man entered through the passenger door. The man ordered the woman to get out, pushed her then drove offffffffffff.

The weekend run ended Sunday about 9:30 p.m. at the Publix at 1389 West Palmetto Park Road, just east of Interstate 95. A 72-year-old man told city police he had just put away his groceries when he noticed a vehicle pull up alongside his own. When the victim got into his 2016 Mazda, a man in the passenger seat pointed a long-barreled hand gun at him.

The armed man demanded the Mazda’s keys, but the victim said he walked away.