LOUISVILLE, Ky. — St. Matthews Police is investigating after a string of purse thefts at a Kroger gas station.
According to Assistant Chief Major Eddie Jones, several women pulled up to pumps at the Hubbards Lane Kroger and hand their purses stolen while they were filling up.
He said the three incidents happened in the last three weeks.
It was around rush hour last Thursday when Susan pulled into pump number nine at the gas station.
She said her head was on a swivel, as it normally is, but she didn't see what was coming.
"I just got back in my car and all of my things were gone," Susan said. "I had a work bag, a wallet. I was just looking around, like how did this just happen?"
She couldn't explain it and neither could the woman at the pump directly in front of her Susan said the woman's purse was also stolen from her car at the same time.
Allison Minton couldn't grasp what happened either.
"I was in such shock that I didn't get the license plate number," Minton said.
Her purse was stolen from her car at the same station less than a week earlier.
She said she was at the pumps closest to Westport Road. The passing lane is now blocked by cones.
"It just looked like they were pulling in to go back the way that they came like they forgot something," Minton recalled. "And it makes me wonder if they were watching me because like I said there was nobody there at that gas station."
The victims met through social media after the realized they shared the similar experience.
Jones advises everyone to lock their car doors, don't leave the engine running, and to be aware of your surroundings.
“If you see anything suspicious at all while you are out, just call the police and we will be more than happy to come and check it out and see if there’s anything concerning,” he said.
But both women said they followed most of this advice and still became victims. They both said they didn't lock their doors.
Now, with a similar pattern of thefts, they want to see more awareness.
"They can put messages on their pumps, and they can type it in and it can say, you know, be safe lock your car while pumping," Susan said.
"I just think that we should be looking out for one another as public safety," Minton said. "I'd like to raise awareness to women because a lot of women leave their purses in their in their passenger seat."
Police say none of the cases have been solved.
Both women said their credit cards were used, or the thieves tried to use them.
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