THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 20, 1997 TAG: 9702200067
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 39 lines
Could you use 44 coats?
Some sticky-fingered ``shoppers'' at Lynnhaven Mall apparently could. In five visits, all occurring early in the evening over two weeks, a pair of thieves have snatched more than $4,000 worth of coats.
The men, who may have been assisted by two other people driving getaway cars, have targeted Hecht's.
Surveillance camera videotape shows the men entering the store and going to the outerwear department, where they look through London Fog and John Ashford coats. They then grab handfuls of coats and flee the store.
All of the thefts have occurred in a narrow timeframe between 6 and 7:30 p.m., with the exception of the latest, which occurred just before 9 p.m. In that case, however, it was the thieves' second visit to the store on the same day.
The men have been seen getting into at least three different vehicles: a yellow Ford Fairmont, a silver Buick and a blue Ford Tempo.
The thefts occurred on the following dates:
Jan. 25 at 7:13 p.m. with three coats stolen.
Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. with 15 coast stolen.
Feb. 4 at 6:17 p.m. with five coats stolen.
Feb. 6 at 6:28 p.m. with 15 coast stolen.
Feb. 6 at 8:52 p.m. with six coats stolen. MEMO: Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Solvers at
427-0000. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Police are looking for any information on the thieves, who have
taken more than $4,000 coats in five trips to Lynnhaven Mall during
a two-week period.
KEYWORDS: THEFT ROBBERY