Police are trying to identify a woman suspected of stealing car keys from a locker room at Durango Community Recreation Center, using them to steal a purse from a locked vehicle and then purchasing $2,700 worth of items from Walmart.
Police learned of the thefts about 1:15 p.m. March 9, shortly after a woman at the rec center was notified by her bank of possible fraudulent activity, said Cmdr. Ray Shupe, spokesman with the police department.
The woman, who was working out upstairs, went to the locker room to get her car key so she could check on her purse, which she left inside a locked vehicle. But her car key, which was in a gym bag stuffed into an unlocked locker, was missing, Shupe said.
“(She) then walked outside and found her car unlocked and her purse missing and other stuff rummaged through,” he said.
The woman had four credit cards in her purse, he said.
Police worked with the rec center to review surveillance footage to identify a suspect. Police released images of the suspect, but they have been unable to identify the suspect.
“The lady that we have on video got into her gym bag, got her car key and then walked out in the parking lot using the (keyless remote) to figure out what car was hers (the victim’s),” Shupe said.
The suspect went on “a little bit of a shopping spree” at Walmart, he said.
She made four separate purchases using all four credit cards. The total charges included $757, $891 and two charges for $526. Shupe did not immediately know what types of items were purchased.
“At this point, we haven’t had any leads on this person yet that have panned out, so (we’re) just trying to identify who she is,” Shupe said.
He recommends people sign up for fraud alerts with their bank. He also reminded residents to lock their belongings at the rec center.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call detective Chris Winchester at 375-4736.
shane@durangoherald.com
