Purse thefts on the rise in Rochester

By KAALTV

Photo illustration: purse theft / MGN

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police are once again warning residents not to leave their valuables in their cars, as it becomes increasingly clear to law enforcement that people are “cruising” the city and looking for visible purses and wallets to steal.

Capt. Casey Moilanen said there have been two more purse thefts recently — one of which happened Saturday afternoon at Quarry Hill Nature Center’s east parking lot, where a 44-year-old woman left her purse in her car for about 40 minutes and returned to find her window broken and the item missing.

The second took place between about 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, when a 24-year-old woman left her purse and car keys inside an unlocked vehicle in the 700 block of 31st Street NE, and upon returning, found her purse stolen.

Moilanen said, once again, that Rochester residents should bring valuables with them when they leave their cars–unless they would like those valuables to be stolen.