Full Notification

On Sunday, May 8th, 2014, officers from the Chula Vista Police Department responded to the Wal-Mart store at 1360 Eastlake Parkway to investigate a theft. The victim reported she had left her purse sitting in her shopping cart. She had been momentarily distracted by her child when her wallet was stolen by an unknown suspect. Review of in-store security camera footage revealed an unidentified Hispanic male began following the victim soon after she entered the store. The suspect followed the victim as she shopped, waiting for her to be distracted. When the victim turned her back, the suspect grabbed the victim’s wallet from her purse and immediately exited the store.

This appears to be a growing trend County-wide, in which organized criminal groups are targeting distracted shoppers in busy retail stores, stealing wallets, cell phones, and other valuables from unsuspecting victims. In this case, detectives believe the victim was specifically targeted because she had a young child with her and was carrying her purse in the shopping cart.

Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect in this case. He is described as an approximately 25 year-old Hispanic male with a medium build, clean-shaven, with tattoos on his upper right arm, wearing a white t-shirt, light-colored blue jeans, sandals, and a dark baseball cap. He is driving a dark-colored four-door vehicle with tinted windows.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Scott Schneider at the Chula Vista Police Department at (619) 407-3528 or the CVPD Tip Line at 619-422-TIPS.