(WWJ) -- The search for a purse thief in Oakland County has come to a happy ending.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says a woman who was caught on camera swiping an 80-year-old woman’s purse from a Kroger store and stealing $100 from the purse has returned the stolen money -- along with a written apology -- and the victim has declined to press charges.
The culprit, a 63-year-old Independence Township Woman, called the sheriff’s office Tuesday night after seeing her face in media reports. The sheriff’s office says they also had several other tips called in.
“The victim is grateful to the Sheriff’s Office for resolving this matter,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, per a press release. “She didn’t want to press charges and simply wanted to move on after the culprit apologized and returned the stolen money.”
Whie Bouchard says he’s “saddened this individual won’t face full responsibility for her intentional act,” he appreciates the public’s attention. Bouchard says he’s sure that’s why the perpetrator decided to turn herself in.
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The incident happened on Sunday, when the 80-year-old woman was grocery shopping at the Kroger at 5990 Sashabaw Road in Independence. After she had finished shopping, the woman was waiting near the entrance of the store for her daughter to pull up.
When the woman -- who is from Chicago but staying with her daughter in Independence Township -- brought the groceries out to the car, she left her purse sitting on a ledge just inside the entrance.
A short time later, the 63-year-old woman is seen walking in the store. After a short pause, she turned around and snagged the purse. The incident was clearly caught on a surveillance camera at the front of the store.
The same woman was seen on a different camera entering the woman’s bathroom with the purse and a reusable shopping bag. A few minutes later, she exits the bathroom with only her shopping bag.
The sheriff’s office says the only thing missing from the purse was $100 in cash.
By the time the victim had realized she left her purse in the store and her daughter went to retrieve it, it was too late.
The suspect met with a detective on Wednesday and admitted to taking the purse, though she initially claimed she left it at customer service.
She later confessed to taking the money.
The woman said she has a prior retail fraud conviction in Troy and was also arrested for retail fraud 25 years ago.
Officials from the Kroger store on Sashabaw said the culprit is permanently banned from shopping there.
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