A Lyons man was charged Jan. 25 with five counts of petit larceny, Lyons police said.
Anthony L. Kirkland, 49 of 2 Layton St., was charged after, over a period of time from late fall to as recent as one week ago, several women reported to village of Lyons Police the alleged theft of wallets or bill folds from their purses while shopping, police said. These women, most of whom could be described as senior citizens, reported they had been shopping in one of the grocery markets in the village and when they went to check out and pay, their wallet was mysteriously missing. Lyons police began to see a pattern in these thefts and on Jan. 25 was able to make an arrest on five of the instances.
It is alleged that Kirkland would be in the market, apparently grocery shopping, and if presented the opportunity, he would allegedly grab a wallet from a purse left unattended in a shopping cart and immediately exit the store, police said. Usually the purse owner’s attention was focused on choosing items from the shelves when Kirkland would strike, police said.
“I was glad we were able to clear these cases,” said Lyons Police Chief Richard Bogan. “Senior citizens may seem especially vulnerable, often leaving a purse in the shopping cart while making selections from the shelves. It is also likely the purse will contain cash as more seniors use cash rather than debit or credit cards. The best practice is to carry a small wallet or money clip in a pocket. Purses, which often contain ID and personal papers, should never be left unattended when in a public place.”
Kirkland was issued appearance tickets for Lyons Village Court and released.
A Lyons man was charged Jan. 25 with five counts of petit larceny, Lyons police said.
Anthony L. Kirkland, 49 of 2 Layton St., was charged after, over a period of time from late fall to as recent as one week ago, several women reported to village of Lyons Police the alleged theft of wallets or bill folds from their purses while shopping, police said. These women, most of whom could be described as senior citizens, reported they had been shopping in one of the grocery markets in the village and when they went to check out and pay, their wallet was mysteriously missing. Lyons police began to see a pattern in these thefts and on Jan. 25 was able to make an arrest on five of the instances.
It is alleged that Kirkland would be in the market, apparently grocery shopping, and if presented the opportunity, he would allegedly grab a wallet from a purse left unattended in a shopping cart and immediately exit the store, police said. Usually the purse owner’s attention was focused on choosing items from the shelves when Kirkland would strike, police said.
“I was glad we were able to clear these cases,” said Lyons Police Chief Richard Bogan. “Senior citizens may seem especially vulnerable, often leaving a purse in the shopping cart while making selections from the shelves. It is also likely the purse will contain cash as more seniors use cash rather than debit or credit cards. The best practice is to carry a small wallet or money clip in a pocket. Purses, which often contain ID and personal papers, should never be left unattended when in a public place.”
Kirkland was issued appearance tickets for Lyons Village Court and released.
