By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban
The SPVM arrested five people in connection with a series of crimes involving perpetrators distracting unsuspecting people and stealing items like jewellery in the process.
The Suburban recently reported on a Côte St. Luc senior couple who were distracted by an alleged couple, one of whom asked for directions to an Arab supermarket and the other asked a man to pray with her and while doing so stole his Rolex, replacing it with a cheap watch. Other such crimes have been reported in the west end and West Island.
The SPVM announced that it had arrested five suspects who were “allegedly involved in several diversion thefts committed in Montreal and its surrounding areas in recent weeks. The suspects allegedly took advantage of the vulnerability of seniors to steal jewelry they were wearing.”
The Montreal police’s statement added that its West Project Investigation Section “also conducted a search of a residence in St. Hubert and seized three vehicles.The suspects arrested are two women aged 36 and 37, and three men aged 34, 39, and 45. Three of them appeared at the Montreal courthouse and face charges of theft under $5,000. The other two were released on a promise to appear at a later date, with conditions to be met.”
The general scheme, which had variations, was that the perpetrators used false pretences to approach a victim, and then offered the victim a gift as a token of appreciation, such as a worthless necklace or ring. During their interactions with the victim, they approached her to have her try on the gift and took the opportunity to steal one or more pieces of valuable jewelry worn by the victim. They then left the scene in a vehicle driven by an accomplice. It was only moments later that the victim realized what had just happened.
The SPVM offered prevention tips, including “if you are a senior, don’t let anyone into your inner circle and be vigilant. Always be on your guard, even when the stranger approaching you is a woman. Also, refuse any gifts offered to you. If possible, travel in groups and hide any valuable jewelry before arriving at your destination.”
The investigation into the distraction crimes is ongoing, “considering the possibility of similar unreported thefts.Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 911 or their local police station. You can also contact Info-Crime Montreal anonymously and confidentially at 514-393-1133 or via the reporting form available on infocrimemontreal.ca.” n