As noted on our Facebook when it happened, a carload of visitors traveled to Lafayette on Friday, saw the patrons of a local dance studio in the 3300 block of Mt. Diablo Blvd. leave their personal belongings near the door prior to class at 8:49 p.m., and snatched said belongings when the time was right.
Two men gathered up a purse and other items and ran to a waiting car, the studio owners close on their heels. The owners promptly notified police, giving dispatchers a description of the car and men involved, and police began a canvass of the area in a search for the car and men involved.
Officers found neither car or suspects, but they did obtain a photo of a car – apparently stolen during a residential burglary in Brentwood the day before – and, on Monday, were able to track it to Oakland, where it was located and towed back to Lafayette for processing of any evidence left behind.
Lafayette police said they are now working to identify the trio responsible for the theft.
Suspects
- #1 – Male, black, 5’10” to 6’0”, wearing a red hoodie
- #2 – Male, black, 20’s, 5’10” to 6’0”, wearing a black hoodie
Go home.
We are fast. And if I had been there I would have stopped these creeps in their tracks with a few hitchkicks and a Jazz pas de bourree…..
My guess is they will be rethinking that whole leave your purse at the door thing.
Darn these hoodie criminals!
Ban HOODIES!!!!
Did they find their stuff?
What’s wrong with these people? Everyone knows you leave your most precious belongings in your purse on the front seat of your unlocked car in Lafayette. It’s a law.
Fast but not as fast as an eighteen yo hoodrat with your purse in his hand.
Hope the people didn’t lose anything vital. Maybe Lululemon will make some workout pants with pockets for cash, keys, etc. These days it seems if you leave it out there people are willing to take it.
If they catch them I think it would be interesting to see what attracted them to the studio in the first place. Women??? walking in with purses? Or the purses themselves sitting there in plain view??
Lockers?
Adrenaline can take second off those times in sprint over short distances, say from the purse basket at the front of a store over the 15 yards it takes to get to the getaway car. I’m betting on the bangers.
Let’s not blame the women, or the purses…. nor a business that has a big window…. Let’s blame the criminals.. lets catch them and lock them up… as un-PC as that sounds.
I agree with Greg… let’s blame the criminals, not the ladies. That being said, you have to take preventive measures. Criminals are opportunists, and without an opportunity, there is no crime.
I, too, blame thieves for the theft, but carrying your valuables in a bag with 10 lbs of other stuff just makes it way too convenient to steal or forget in a restaurant or store or shopping cart. If I carried a 10 lb bag around with me I would probably want to set it down, too. A purse is a fashion choice, I guess. Men don’t generally seem to need them.
Where are those handy little Facebook symbols when you need them? These punks really burn me up. This is mereley a game to them but if they get caught and they are put in jail we won’t have to look at them or be robbed by them for a while.
whats going on on reliez valley road???
Ban Hoods.
These seems to be happening more often than usual lately. Taking some measures to safeguard your belongings seems wise. There does seem to be a cycle of crime going on .
I’ve locked the door at a small business years ago when we noticed some folks acting strange outside. We told the business owner a lady and she thanked us and she called the police. This was many years ago in another town. But I really don’t see anything wrong with customers in a small business like a dance studio locking the door and informing the owner or the employees that the door was locked because something was out of place outside or strange people were around the front entrance. After all its a small community and business owners are just as concerned about safety for their business and customers as the folks who are there visiting.
Don’t be shy about things like that! Its OK no really it is OK to lock a door and tell someone if something is looking a bit sketchy outside.