Police sought the public’s help today in finding a trio suspected in two recent thefts in downtown Palm Springs.
The first crime was reported about 8 p.m. July 14 at a business in the 200 block of North Palm Canyon Drive. A man and two women entered the business, and two of them distracted an employee while the third took items belonging to unsuspecting employees.
One employee discovered sometime after the trio left that her credit cards had been stolen and used at several downtown businesses.
Another employee discovered his car keys were missing and that his 2012 Lincoln MKX had been stolen, said Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff.
Roughly 10 minutes after the first theft, another theft and an attempt to use a stolen credit card occurred at a business in the 200 block of South Palm Canyon. The same suspects had attempted to use credit cards stolen at the first business, Kovaleff said.
“Two of the suspects were able to distract employees while a third suspect stole items from purses belonging to the employees that were stored in an office,” the sergeant said.
The suspects then ran off, he said.
The stolen Lincoln MKX was recovered in El Monte on Saturday. It was found parked and unoccupied, Kovaleff said.
The male suspect was described as white and unshaven, 20-30 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall and 240 pounds, with dark wavy hair.
Police today released surveillance photos — taken at the business where the stolen credit cards were used — of the man’s accomplices, both Hispanic women.
Kovaleff said police are investigating whether the thefts are related to two similar thefts that occurred at a business in the 1000 block of North Palm Canyon on July 18.
Anyone with information on the suspects’ identities or whereabouts was asked to call Detective Marcus Litch at (760) 323-8140, or Coachella Valley Crimes Stoppers at 760-341-7867.
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