Police were looking for a man Tuesday who is reaching into the purses of female shoppers and stealing their wallets at a Mid-Wilshire grocery store.
The incidents reportedly occurred last month and were captured on the store's surveillance cameras.
"You don't realize who's behind you, expecially at Whole Foods," Lorena Alvidriz, a concerned shopper, said.
When the victims turned their backs to their shopping carts to pick items from a shelf, the brazen thief slyly reached into their purses, removed their wallets and walked away.
"I think it's really scary," Lorena Alvidriz, a concerned shopper, said. "We need to pay more attention when we go to the store."
The thefts made shoppers realize how aloof they could be at grocery stores.
"It's kind of shocking," another concerned shopper, Heather, said. "I realize I'm a little careless with my stuff."
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The thief is described as a 30 to 40-year-old black male with dark hair and brown eyes. He stands 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. At the time of the thefts, he was seen wearing a white shirt, gray pants and black tennis shoes with white soles.
The most recent incidents were reported on Sunday, Sept. 10, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in a grocery store located on the 6300 block of West 3rd Street.
Detectives are urging anyone with information about this case to contact them at 213-922-8216.
