HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is asking the public to help them arrest people accused of pickpocketing before they strike again.
Deputies say they are looking for a group of three to four people who are becoming "more and more brazen with their acts of pickpocketing up and down the Bay area."
The sheriff's office first learned of the group when they reportedly stole a woman's purse from her shopping cart in February at a Walmart on Lithia Pinecrest Road in Brandon.
They were later seen at another Walmart and McDonald's using the woman's credit card, deputies explain.
Then almost two months later, the sheriff's office says three people that matched the description of the previous theft were seen reaching into another woman's purse while in a shopping cart and stealing an iPhone 13 Max Pro.
While investigating, detectives say they found the group tends to strike in the Bradenton and Sarasota area. It's believed that the group is connected to other similar crimes across the Bay area.
"What started as a group of pickpockets creating a nuisance for a couple of people, has now become a ring of criminals that show no signs of stopping if and when they see an opportunity," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
"This is a group of bandits who use means of distraction to lure victims away from their valuables while another in their group grabs what they want, and then take off before the items are discovered to be missing."
Here's a breakdown of how deputies describe the three accused pickpocketers:
Person 1
Approximately 30- to 45-year-old male with a medium build. Last seen wearing a blue Adidas t-shirt, blue shorts, black shoes, black satchels, sunglasses and a face mask. Deputies say he appears to have tattoos on the back of both calves.
Person 2
Approximately 25- to 35-year-old female with a medium build. Last seen wearing a white cropped t-shirt, blue scarf, black shorts, black shoes and a facemask.
Person 3
Approximately 35- to 50-year-old male with a medium build. Last seen wearing a black and gray Adidas t-shirt, gray sweatpants, black backpack, black shoes, sunglasses and a facemask.
The sheriff's office says the group could possibly be traveling in a black Chevrolet Cruz or Chevrolet Malibu.
Anyone who recognizes the people in the group and knows where they are is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.
Here's a video from the sheriff's office of the suspected pickpocketers.