Watch man with dog steal woman's purse inside Maryland Walgreens, police say

Police are hoping people can help identify a man caught on camera stealing a woman's purse from her cart at a Walgreens in Aberdeen and then posing as a Good Samaritan returning it after stealing several items.

Jeff Hager

Hello! I cover Harford and Cecil counties for WMAR-2 News. If you have a story idea to share, please email me at [email protected].

BALTIMORE, Md. — Retail theft continues to be a growing concern across the country, but police say a man who entered the Walgreens on Beards Hill Road in Aberdeen wasn’t interested in store merchandise. Instead, investigators say he targeted a customer’s purse.

"You’ll see him enter the store accompanied by his canine companion. He’s wearing a black hat backwards, has a very distinct mustache and black glasses," said Aberdeen Police Capt. C. William Reiber.

According to police, a woman briefly left her shopping cart unattended near the front entrance while carrying other items outside. Her purse remained in the cart.

Not your typical purse snatcher

Security video shows the man ignoring the steady stream of customers entering and leaving the store before taking the purse without hesitation, investigators said.

“We observed the individual take the purse, go into their vehicle, move said vehicle to another location in the parking lot, come back with the purse and return it to a store employee,” Reiber said.