Holiday purse snatchings have already started
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 27, 2002
Suffolk Police are asking for help in finding the persons responsible for several crimes in the community, including the theft of a pedigree puppy.
Officer Mike Simpkins, the public information officer for the police department, said the 9-week-old Stafford Terrier was taken Saturday, Oct. 25 from the back yard of a home in the 100 block of Military Road.
In another incident, a local business was hit by thieves who hauled away a vehicle tow dolly. Simpkins said this crime took place Sept. 18 when unknown suspects went to the U-Haul Rental Center on Holland Road and took the object.
The dolly is orange and bears black numerals 1332J spray-painted on both sides of tow bar. This particular dolly is used on small vehicles only.
The officer said a white male suspect with dark, bushy hair was seen leaving with the dolly hitched to a gold or dark brown small truck westbound on Holland Road.
Suffolk Police are also asking for help in solving a string of strong-armed robberies.
&uot;There have been several purse snatching incidents in the city within the past month,&uot; said Simpkins. &uot;The suspects have been described only as black males wearing dark clothing.&uot;
It is unknown at this point whether it has been one person or more committing the crimes that took place in the area of East Washington and Beech streets. There has also been a purse snatching at the Family Dollar Store on East Constance Road.
&uot;The suspect involved in these crimes runs from behind the victim, grabs their purse and snatches it from the victim while running past them,&uot; said Simpkins. &uot;Any woman shopping right now should keep her purse locked in the trunk of the car, carrying only the amount of cash or a credit or debit card with you when shopping. Carrying a purse during the holiday season is like waving a red flag and telling purse snatchers to come and get it.&uot;
Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to call the Suffolk Crime Line at 539-1222. Callers do not give their names and never testify in court on information provided to police. If a caller’s information leads to an arrest or recovery of stolen property the caller is paid up to $1,000 reward.