"We don't see a lot of pickpockets in the Chattanooga area," said Chattanooga Police Sgt. Victor Miller, "but today, we have one for you." One, he says, bilked someone out of thousands of dollars when he and his accomplices went on a shopping spree using cards they had stolen at Best Buy.
"The great thing about it is, Best Buy has great cameras," Sgt. Miller said. "So, you should know immediately who this person is." That is, if you already know them or have seen them, somewhere. "The male suspect appears to be a Hispanic male and, in the photos, you'll see that he is with two other females," Miller described.
"So, they are at Hamilton Place Mall and the victim is, you know, shopping like everyone is during the holiday season," Miller continued. Our suspect was apparently shopping for a mark. "As you see, it looks like he's dressed very well and so he would not stand out in the crowd," Miller added. "He wants to dress nice so that people aren't apprehensive about him being closer to them."
It worked. "This guy decides to take the wallet out of the victim's pocket and then they all go to Best Buy, nearby, and start using that credit card," Sgt. Miller said. There, we learned, they have expensive tastes. "Apparently, they like Apple products," he continued. "So, they selected the MacBook of their choice and exited Best Buy."
They may not be from town, but if they are still around, Sgt. Miller believes they will likely strike, again. "Usually, people that do this would continue to do it," he explained. "It's something that they worked on and maybe they have done this multiple times."
Up to $1,000 is available for your good tip. If you recognize the suspect or his gal-pals, call Crime Stoppers: 698-3333. That line is open 24/7 and we will never ask you for your name.
