BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington police have arrested a 21-year-old woman and a 17-year-old male after the pair would sometimes distract their victims, take their purses, and then used their credit cards to make expensive purchases.
Police arrested Raven Russell on multiple counts of theft and fraud. The 17-year-old, whose name was not released faces similar charges in juvenile court.
The two were arrested on Monday, December 23 at Walmart in Bloomington after receiving a tip from employees who spotted the pair who visited the store frequently.
Police caught the pair on Monday, Dec. 12, at the Bloomington Walmart after receiving a tip from employees who’d spotted them in the store. The duo visited the location frequently.
Russell told police she stole the purses and checks to “support her drug addiction”.
According to a probable cause affidavit, police believe the two are connected to several purse snatchings in the Bloomington area from Nov. 23 through Dec. 7.
During a Nov. 23 incident, an 82-year-old woman said a young man approached her in the Walmart parking lot and asked if he could use her phone. While they were talking, a young woman ran by and grabbed her purse. The pair left in a silver Ford.
On Nov. 28, one of Russell’s family members noticed several checks missing from his checkbook and said the bank contacted him about a suspicious attempt to cash a $350 check. A check for $800 had been cashed just hours before, the bank said.
Russell admitted to taking the checks, signing them, and having the 17-year-old cash them.
On Dec. 4, a Kroger shopper was loading groceries into her car and had placed her purse in the seat of the shopping cart when two people ran up to her cart and snatched the purse, and ran off.
Within a week police investigated six other thefts involving Russell and the teen. The two are also suspects in similar thefts in Bedford.
On Dec. 5, at an Aldi store in Bloomington, a woman was shopping in a clothing aisle when a young man asked her what kind of pants he should get his mother. She offered some suggestions and then noticed he began walking away from her. She saw her purse was gone. Surveillance video showed a woman, believed to be Russell, grabbing the purse while the teen distracted the victim. The victim then noticed fraudulent purchases made at Walmart. Police say Russell and the teen made purchases of $459.03, $319.93, and $157.57; all three happened while the woman and her husband were attempting to cancel the stolen cards
On Dec. 7, a woman was shopping at a Dollar General store. She said a young man had approached and asked her for advice on a gift for his mother. He led her away from her cart and when they returned, she realized her purse was gone. Surveillance footage later showed Russell snatching the purse from the woman’s cart. Afterward, the victim noticed fraudulent purchases of over $400.00 were made with her debit card at Big Lots, McDonald’s, and Walmart.
Walmart employees showed investigators surveillance footage in which the pair bought expensive speaker equipment from the electronics section before attempting to return it for cash at the front of the store.
Employees then alerted police when the pair returned to the store on Dec. 12, leading to their arrest.
