SAVANNAH, GA (March 2, 2015): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Islands Precinct investigators seek to identify thieves who in January entered three area hospitals, stealing credit cards from employees and making fraudulent purchases throughout Georgia, and most recently in Gonzales, Louisiana.
Through interagency intelligence, Metro detectives learned that on Feb. 2, a hospital theft suspect linked to local cases, entered multiple restricted offices at Louisiana’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Plaza. The thief stole an employee’s debit card then completed a transaction with the stolen card at a nearby store.
Similarly, the first Savannah area theft occurred Friday, Jan. 16 after 9:30 a.m., at Memorial University Medical Center, on the 4700 block of Waters Avenue. Investigators believe the suspect stole a wallet containing several credit cards from an employee’s unattended purse. Within the hour, several large purchases were made using one of the stolen credit cards. Gift cards later used in Atlanta were among the purchased items. Shortly afterwards, the suspect attempted additional purchases with another stolen card at a different store.
Just after 1 p.m. the same day, similar thefts occurred at Candler Hospital on the 5300 block of Reynolds Street. The suspect stole wallets containing cash, credit cards and ID cards from bags left alone by two hospital workers. Fraudulent credit card purchases were made at several Chatham County stores and gas stations. The purchases totaled several hundred dollars.
Investigators believe the same suspect stole credit cards at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro. Transactions using those cards were made in Macon.
Surveillance cameras at a Savannah retailer recorded two black female suspects completing transactions with stolen the credit cards. The female shown on surveillance footage from all three hospitals is in her late 40s to early 50s and is heavy set. She wore eyeglasses and braids touching the middle of her back during the incidents. The second suspect filmed making fraudulent purchases is a black female who wore a long ponytail the day of the day of the crime. She is in her late 20s to early 30s. The pair fled in a white Dodge Magnum.
Surveillance cameras at an Atlanta store recorded footage on Jan. 18 of two black males and Jan. 19 of a black male and black female buying items with gift cards purchased with the stolen credit cards.
Anyone with information on this case should call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
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