Daycare car prowler: 'I went for my purse and couldn't find it!' -- help identify suspect linked to bold parking lot theft

WANTED IN ARLINGTON --
Turn your back for just a few seconds and a thief can strike!

I wish we lived in a world where you didn't have to watch over your stuff all the time, but that's just not the case.

And now, a warning to women everywhere to keep your purse close to you as detectives ask for help identifying a thief.

“I feel mad because I didn`t do anything wrong.” Arlington police say a thief waited until Joanne VanLeuven carried a load of groceries into the daycare she owns to strike. Her hands were full so she left her purse in the car. "I went for my purse and couldn`t find it, went back to check inside, came back outside, back and forth until I realized my purse was gone.”

Immediately, detectives say the woman in the photo above who they’re trying to identify used Joanne's debit card nine times at numerous stores within an hour. “The 7-Eleven is what you see on the video,” says Kristin Banfield with Arlington Police. “The suspect, a female, and a driver show up in white Chevy, pull in. The young lady gets out, goes into the store, attempts to purchase gift cards with the stolen debit card. The clerk asks for ID and she says, `Oh! I left it in the car,` goes back out to the car and instead of coming back in, they take off. "

It's not the first time Joanne has been a victim. She had her purse stolen 5 years ago. “One of my employees said, `Hey, someone is in your car.’ I said, `What?` And, so I raced out and chased this man through the woods to the hotel and all of a sudden he was gone"

Police found that thief but say what happened to her twice now serves as a warning to everyone. “Period. End of story. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle at any time if you`re going to leave it unattended,” says Banfield. “No matter if that`s 30 seconds, or 30 minutes, or 30 days, don`t leave valuables unattended."

If you can tell Arlington Police detectives her name, call an anonymous tip into:
CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS

You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest.