Surveillance video shows thief stealing $1K from woman's purse in store

EAST LIBERTY, Pa. — A mother is thanking the Good Samaritans who helped her buy her daughter's clothes and shoes after a thief took more than $1,000 from her purse in an East Liberty store Monday.

Samantha Greene told Channel 11 News that she was shopping with her daughter at Target when $1,100 in cash was stolen from her purse.

"I was like, 'Where's my purse?'" Greene said. "(My daughter) was like, 'I think I left it in the shoe department.'"

Greene said she was relieved when one of the store's workers found her purse. However, when she opened it, she realized all of her cash was gone.

"I checked my purse and the money was gone. My wallet was also gone, so I panicked," Greene said. "She really had to go through it because the money wasn't in my wallet and it wasn't just sitting inside my purse."

Investigators said surveillance video shows a woman pick up Greene's purse, remove the money and leave the purse behind.

Greene said she wouldn't normally carry that amount of cash, but she had recently lost her debit card and was waiting for a new one.

Greene said she is hopeful that police catch the thief, but she's more grateful to two Good Samaritans who helped her out in a time of need.

"Thank God there were these two women who stepped in and helped me," Greene said. "The one lady paid for my kid's stuff and gave me money to get home. The other lady gave me $150. I really appreciate them."

So far, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information on the theft is asked to contact police.

WPXI