A Calgary woman says two strangers used a request for prayer to get close enough to steal four bracelets from her wrist. Ayan Marer said she was walking along 17 Avenue near 36 Street S.E. around 3 p.m. on Aug. 27 when a vehicle stopped beside her. A man in the driver’s seat called her over and said his mother was sick. “The way he told me was, ‘My mom is very sick. You need to come in to pray.’ That’s why I followed him,” Marer said. Marer pulled a Bible from her purse and leaned into the vehicle’s window to pray. While she was distracted, she said the woman in the passenger seat reached up and pulled four bracelets from her wrist. The two suspects then ran off, leaving behind a sock containing fake jewellery. Marer initially believed the bracelets were in the sock, but realized they had been stolen when she opened it to find plastic jewellery and a 20-dollar bill. She told CTV News the bracelets were precious to her - she’s worn them bracelets for 42 years and estimates they are worth about $2,000. Following the incident, Marer called police. Police warn of distraction thefts Calgary police say the incident has the hallmarks of a distraction theft, where offenders use a story and physical contact to divert a victim’s attention. “They’re trying to distract you with what they’re saying, whether it’s that they’re in need or something like that,” said Sgt. Nick Wilsher with the Calgary Police Service’s crime prevention unit. “But they’re checking for watches, rings, wallets, depending on how close they can get to you to remove any article from you.” Wilsher said offenders will sometimes offer to sell jewellery or place a piece of fake jewellery on a victim while secretly removing the real item. Police often see the thefts arrive in waves because many of the offenders travel around the country and do not remain in one area for long, he said. The incidents are most commonly reported in open areas and parking lots. Wilsher said a person quickly entering someone’s personal space or creating a sense of urgency should be treated as a warning sign. “As soon as that happens, back away,” he said. “Remember, you can always walk away.” Police encourage anyone who notices suspicious activity to attract the attention of people nearby and contact investigators. Video can also help identify suspects and vehicles, but police say it should only be recorded from a safe distance. Marer is sharing her experience in hopes others will recognize a similar approach. “If somebody calls you in the street, ‘Come, come, come’ … don’t do that,” she said. Police would not say whether the vehicle at the scene had been stolen, citing the ongoing investigation. Marer’s bracelets have not been recovered.
