Police have released surveillance video of suspects wanted in the distraction theft of two valuable family heirlooms from an 88-year-old East Vancouver woman on Tuesday afternoon. In a news release Thursday, the Vancouver Police Department said investigators believe the incident is linked to another similar theft they warned about earlier this week. In the latest distraction theft, the senior was standing outside her home selling PNE parking on her private property near Kaslo Avenue and East Hastings Street around noon, when a vehicle pulled up in front of her. “A woman in the back seat of the vehicle appeared to be seeking assistance,” the VPD said in the release. “After the senior approached the vehicle, the suspect grabbed her wrist from inside the vehicle and distracted her by talking before swapping the victim’s two gold necklaces (one with jade) with fake jewelry.” The suspect vehicle — described as a dark-coloured, four-door Kia Soul — then fled the scene. Investigators said the driver was a man. The female suspect, who was wearing a white T-shirt, was sitting in the back seat with two children. “Police believe this incident is related to another distraction theft reported in Vancouver on Tuesday, as the suspect and vehicle descriptions are similar,” Const. Megan Lui said in the release. “We believe there were witnesses in the area who may have seen the theft or the suspects before or after it occurred, and we are asking them to come forward.” In the earlier reported case, a 76-year-old woman was left without her gold necklace after falling victim to a distraction theft near East 11th Avenue and Victoria Drive around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police said the senior was waiting for family members when she was approached by a woman who told her she looked like her mother before hugging her and saying it was her mother’s birthday. The suspect then allegedly removed the victim’s gold necklace and relaced it with another necklace without her knowledge. Anyone with information, CCTV or dash-cam video in connection with either incident is asked to contact the VPD.
