WILMETTE – When you’re pumping gas at the service station, what do you do with your purse, wallet and other valuables?
Two recent incidents in Wilmette and Skokie have police suggesting that people hide their valuables when they step out of the car to fill up the tank.
On November 13, a woman’s purse was stolen from the seat of her unlocked car while she was filling her car with gas at the BP Station at 840 Skokie Boulevard in Wilmette, according to police reports.
A similar incident in Skokie appears to have been committed by the same perpetrators, Wilmette Police Deputy Chief Pat Collins told DailyNorthShore.
In the Wilmette incident, the Chicago Tribune reported that a silver Lexus with three people inside pulled up beside the woman at the BP station, and the driver got out of the car and acted suspiciously. Another car drove away just as the victim realized her purse was gone. Video surveillance shows that a silver Lexus and gray Toyota both left at the same time.
No arrests have been made and the suspects remain at large.
While Wilmette is not experiencing an uptick in these types of crimes, Deputy Collins advised that people should always be aware of their surroundings. He also suggested that purses or valuables remain hidden in the car so they are not an easy target.
