Thefts from Butler County medical facilities underline need for holiday safety

Butler County Sheriff’s detectives are looking for a suspect who is stealing from medical facility workers, and it could be the same person suspected in five other jurisdictions.

Butler County Sheriff’s detectives are looking for a suspect who is stealing from medical facility workers, and it could be the same person suspected in five other jurisdictions.

A suspect stealing from medical facility workers in the region shines a light on the need to keep belongings safe, especially while in crowds during the holiday season, local law enforcement officials said.

Detectives are continuing to look for the suspect, believed to be a woman, who is involved in a theft of wallets on Nov. 15 from two female workers at Children’s Hospital Liberty Campus. The suspect also is believed to be behind thefts in West Chester Twp., Montgomery County and Muncie, Ind., said Butler County Sheriff’s Office detective Mike Steele.

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The thefts all took place around the middle of November.

Middletown police recently posted a warning along with tips for women to secure purses will shopping. The Facebook post says: “Ladies when you go shopping this holiday season, here’s a quick tip if you’re carrying a bag or purse, take a minute and use the cart clip to run through the handles on your purse to keep someone else’s hands off of it!”

Better yet, Middletown police Major Scott Reeve said, keep the purse with you and zipped shut.

“It is a really bad idea to leave your purse or belongings in a cart while shopping, especially when stores are more crowded this time of year,” Reeve said.

Pare down belongings and choose a smaller purse for just the essentials during shopping that can be carried cross-body, he suggested.

At Children’s Hospital, the suspect took the wallets from purses in an office area between 7 a.m. and 11:20 a.m., according to the report. Within minutes, charges were made on stolen cards at Kroger on Yankee Road and Meijer on Tylersville Road.

The detective said the suspect walks with a limp or side-to-side movement. Most of the items purchased are gift cards and lottery tickets.

A store employee described the suspect as a woman in her mid-60s wearing a wig, according to the report.

Two credit card thefts were reported last month at Kettering Health Network facilities. A credit card theft also was reported at Cardiologist Specialists of Dayton in Washington Twp. on Nov. 11, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim told deputies her wallet was taken from her purse, which was behind the receptionist’s desk, according to a Facebook post from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The credit cards were used at area stores.

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