Crafty Crook Returns Purses and Wallets

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga - Cherokee County deputies are searching for a stealthy crook who’s taking a different approach to an old crime.

He's already spent thousands of dollars of his victims’ money with their credit cards before they even realized the cards were missing.

FOX 5’s George Franco spoke with Sonya Groom, who is the neighbor of one of the victims.

Franco "Do you recognize him at all?”
Sonya Groom: “No.”
Franco: “Or the car?”
Groom: “No."

Investigators said the man in a ball cap has been spotted leaving several Walmarts in Cherokee, Cobb, and Carroll counties in a red Camaro convertible.

Surveillance video and photos recorded him after he purchased high-end electronics and other merchandise with stolen credit cards.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office rounded up the surveillance video showing the man buying items at one store then exchanging them for cash at another Walmart.

Groom had already heard about his crafty approach in her neighborhood.

"Breaking into cars and putting the wallets back when they take the credit cards out," said Groom.

Investigators said it happened three times Saturday night at the Pebblebrooke subdivision in Canton.

Detectives said Sonya Groom's neighbor was ripped off as well the neighbor of Jeannie Cannon.

"He knows what he's doing absolutely, I mean how often do you check your credit cards you don't look at your wallet everyday so it could be a week," said Cannon.

Lt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said he wouldn't be surprised to find more victims.

"There may be others that are out there that don't realize their credit cards have been taken from their wallets," said Lt. Baker.

He said in all the cases, it appears the vehicles were left unlocked. Baker also said the thief is not a teenager looking for a quick score, but seems well practiced, when he returns wallets and purses and when leaving the Walmarts.

"You can look at the vehicle in the video and see there's absolutely no type of tag, no drive out tag. Before he pulls in he's pulling the tag off," said Lt. Baker.

Lt Baker said the crafty crook goes to considerable efforts to fool people and steal from them.

"If some people would put this type of effort into work they'd be millionaires, but for whatever reason this individual wants to put his efforts into stealing," said Baker.

Jeannie Cannon had a message for the culprit.

"I hope you get caught I'd be the one to love to catch you," said Cannon.

Investigators said the last swipe of a stolen credit card connected to this caper was in Villa Rica and across the state line in Alabama.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.