Crime & Safety

Toms River Cops Searching for Serial Supermarket Thief

Woman in her 20s targets elderly women shopping in stores, steals their purses, cops say

Toms River police say they may have connected a video of a woman stealing another woman's purse at a supermarket last fall to a spate of thefts –including more recent ones – in supermarkets both in Toms River and other towns in Ocean County.

The department released surveillance video from the fall 2013 incident at the Route 37 West Shop Rite store on Wednesday. In it, a woman in her 20s, about 5'5" tall, with black hair steals the purse of a another shopper, identified as a 65-year-old woman, from her cart. The woman is seen wearing a shirt in the video with the phrase “Attitude Served Daily” written on it.

"Although this footage is dated, it is the best image so far that we have captured of this suspect," said police spokesman Ralph Stocco.

According to Stocco, the investigation has led officers to believe that the woman in the video continues to prey on elderly females and hope this footage aids in her apprehension. The woman may be involved in more recent thefts that have not been caught on camera, he said.

Anyone with information or tips can contact Detective Roger Hull at 732-349-0150 extension 1291.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.