During these tough economic times, seniors are often victims of crime.
In this case, police say it's the opposite.
Marie Hall, 67, was arrested Tuesday in Lake Elsinore on suspicion of snatching purses from customers while they were shopping at several community markets. She was booked on five counts of burglary, according to jail records.
Deputies responded to a report of several purse snatchings at four Lake Elsinore supermarkets between the days of July 3-5, said sheriff's Sgt. Patrick Chavez.
A fifth purse-snatching report was made on July 6, when an employee at the Stater Bros. at 16750 Lakeshore Drive accused Hall of stealing a shopper's satchel from a shopping cart and detained her for deputies, according to Chavez.
Hall was taken into custody but later released because of unspecified medical issues, the sergeant said.
Meanwhile, investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the previous cases, which they allege clearly shows Hall either stealing a victim's purses or walking into stores with one purse and walking out with two, Chavez said.
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When investigators went to her home on Tuesday, they discovered property allegedly belonging to all of the victims and took Hall into custody, he said.
Hall was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
