Last week, we told you about a series of seventeen wallet thefts in Lakewood since February. But rest easy (or at least easier), Lakewood shoppers. Over the weekend, local cops arrested Tony White, 46, after he allegedly tried to lift a wallet from a shopping cart at a Colfax King Soopers -- and in the course of the investigation, they became confident enough that he had been involved in many, if not all, of the other snatchings that they are now declaring the case to have been solved. Not that you should feel free to leave your wallet unattended in a store the next time you run out of Doritos. In all likelihood, there are other Tony Whites out there.
Get the details after the jump:
Lakewood Police Department release:
Arrest Made in Series of Wallet TheftsMay 21, 2009
Lakewood Police have made an arrest in a series of wallet thefts that had taken place in supermarkets and grocery stores over the last three months.
46-year-old Tony White (12-10-62) was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with the theft of a wallet from a female customer at the King Soopers store at Colfax & Quail St. White allegedly stole the woman's wallet from her purse that had been placed in a shopping cart.
As a result of interviewing White, detectives became convinced of White's involvement in many of the similar cases that had been reported in the last few months. White was booked at the Jefferson County Jail on charges of theft and burglary as well as an outstanding warrant for theft and giving false information to a pawn broker.
Police advise shoppers they should never leave their wallet unattended in a shopping cart. Ideally purses should be closed and carried or hung on an arm or shoulder while shopping.
Anyone who feels they have been a victim of a similar case or may have information that would assist detectives in their investigation is asked to call the Lakewood Police Department at 303-987-7111.
