Cops in Delta, Surrey join in theft warnings
Police in the Vancouver area have issued yet another public warning about so-called “distraction thefts.”
In a typical instance, unsuspecting victims are overwhelmed by someone asking for help while they are robbed of jewelry or other valuables.
The latest incident occurred in Delta, when an elderly woman had a multi diamond ring stolen.
Delta police disclosed details of the theft Thursday as RCMP in Surrey issued their own warnings about such thefts. Similar incidents have been reported in Vancouver and Abbotsford.
In Delta, police said a senior was approached last Saturday in a residential area of the city.
A man and a woman in a grey vehicle flagged down the woman to ask for directions, police said. The female suspect stepped out the car, approached the victim, placed a piece of jewelry in her hand and removed a ring and a watch the elderly woman was wearing. The suspects fled in the vehicle. Delta police said in a news release the ring features seven individual diamonds in a cluster on a wide gold band and has sentimental value to the victim.
In Surrey, the RCMP said similar incidents had occurred there, though the force didn’t provide many specifics.
Cpl. Bert Paquet said there have been several incidents in the past several weeks and investigators have a person of interest. “In these cases, a suspect would approach the victim and distract them with a story about troubles or looking for directions to the hospital, looking very distraught and panicked,” he said.
Paquet said anyone wearing valuable jewelry in public should be aware of their surroundings and be skeptical if someone approaches with a suspicious story, particularly if that person attempts to touch them.
He said it’s not clear whether any of the similar thefts in surrounding communities are related, but investigators are considering that possibility.