Man charged in connection to multiple purse thefts since December

Winnipeg police say a 26-year-old man has been charged in connection to multiple purse thefts dating back to mid-December.

Police say on Dec. 12, 2023, they received a report that a man had approached a woman in a discount store and asked for a bus fare.

The woman, offering a kind gesture, pulled out her purse, at which point, the man allegedly stole it.

From there, the woman’s credit card was reportedly used to complete multiple transactions totalling over $4,500.

A couple of weeks later, on Dec. 28, police received a similar report, this time at a drug store, where a woman was approached similarly by a man asking for bus fare.

Once again, the man allegedly swiped the woman’s purse when she started to look through it.

Reports indicate after the incident, the woman’s credit card was used for $800 in purchases.

Police say a third, similar incident took place on Feb. 11, 2024, in the same drug store.

Once again, a woman was approached by a man asking for a bus fare, before allegedly stealing her wallet.

Through an investigation, Winnipeg police were able to identify a man believed to be involved in the alleged thefts and took him into custody.

Since then, the 26-year-old, who was not named by police, has been charged with three counts of robbery, and two counts of fraud under $5,000.

WPS add through their investigation, it is believed two more thefts took place in February. One incident was at a discount store along Ellice Avenue near Strathcona Street, and the second incident was at a mall along Corydon Avenue.