Police in a county in southern California have warned the public about strangers approaching them offering a hug.
The ‘hugging thieves’ represents a new and unwelcome crime trend that may be spreading in The Golden State.
Recent Drop in Thefts
This comes following some reports in Southern California that trespassing and thefts are down.
The LA Metro safety report reported a 4% decrease in ‘property crimes’, and larger percentage decreases to drug misuse, weapon-carrying and trespassing crimes.
Rise in Violent Crime
However, the Metro safety report also noted an increase in violent crimes.
In the period from March to April this year, violent crime rates rose by almost 16% on the transit system.
Common Types of Assault
The report also included some details on the methods of assault that the perpetrators tended towards.
The 3 most common methods of assault found were threatening with a knife, using a knife and attacking the victim bare-handed.
New Method of Theft
The latest crime method represents an unusual but no less serious method of assault that has led to the theft of a number of high-value pieces of jewelry.
Rather than brandishing or using a weapon, the assailants instead move to embrace their victim.
Hugging Thieves Waited in Car
In one incident, the criminals were said to have begun by sitting in their car, waiting for their victim to pass by.
When the victim approached the car, a woman stepped out and moved towards them.
Hug Offer
The woman, despite being a stranger to the victim, offered a hug.
As she moved in to embrace the victim, she attempted to wrest the victim’s gold chain from around his neck forcefully.
Other Victims
The victim, whose experience was described publicly by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, was far from the only victim of the ‘hugging thieves’.
In their statement, the OCSD said: “Based on the description provided by the victim, it was later determined that the same suspects were possibly involved in similar incidents in Orange County and surrounding counties.”
Suspects Apprehended
The suspects described in the report have likely now been arrested.
They were located and apprehended in a joint operation by the OCSD and Rancho Santa Margarita Station.
Jewelry Stash
The thieves had managed to amass a substantial haul from their actions, with OCSD reporting that they had found “approximately fifty pieces of jewelry belonging to different victims” in the suspects’ car.
The OCSD warns citizens to be wary and “cautious of strangers approaching you for any reason.”
