Tips Sought: Pickpocketing Spree At Trader Joe's Stores In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — Police sought the public's help Thursday in identifying the suspect in a series of pickpocket thefts in San Diego.

Officers discovered the crime spree after one of the victims found their stolen phone with an unknown man and called police around 6 p.m. Oct. 17, according to the San Diego Police Department. The man fled the area before police arrived, but more than a dozen stolen cellphones were recovered.

"The investigation has revealed 13 phones were stolen within three hours," SDPD Detective Sgt. Brian French said. "All victims were shopping inside various Trader Joe's stores throughout the city of San Diego. SDPD has been able to reunite 12 of the stolen phones with their owners."

The suspect was described as a Hispanic man in his 30s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a normal build and short dark hair, French said. At the time of the thefts, he was wearing a white sweater, black pants and white athletic shoes, and was driving a black Mercedes Benz.

A detective on the case obtained video surveillance footage of a man trying to purchase merchandise at a Best Buy store in Mira Mesa using one of the recovered cellphones.

"SDPD would also like to remind the public to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings, especially during the holiday season," French said. "Many victims in these cases had their phone in their pockets, purses and bags slung on their bodies when the theft occurred."

Anyone with information about the thefts was asked to call the department's Eastern Division at 858-495-7900.