TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa woman had her purse stolen from a her car in Downtown Tulsa. Now, she’s warning others to stay alert and not leave valuables behind.
The theft happened on Sunday November 28th.
Surveillance cameras captured the person who broke the car’s window and took off with her purse. Now, she hopes the evidence helps police track that person down.
The video shows the individual walking up to a car parked along 3rd and Frankfort Downtown. The person hits the window three times, then stands back for a few seconds before smashing it completely and reaching in for a purse.
“Downtown Tulsa has become pretty amazing. There is a lot of great people down here. A lot of things happening down here, but also be aware that people can be watching you even if you think they’re not. If you think that you’re hiding your purse you’re probably not.”
Amber Whittington works as a waitress at a nearby restaurant. That night, she had just gotten off her work shift.
“I came out to put the purse in my car because I was planning on walking around downtown. I didn’t want to have a whole bunch of cash on me, so I thought I was being smart and put my purse in my car, I actually hid it a little bit as well and then left with my co-workers,” Whittington said.
In a matter of minutes, her purse was gone, with over three hundred dollars in cash, money she’s been trying to save to give her kids a special Christmas.
“I’m a single mom of four kids, so it’s a little bit difficult to provide for four kids awesome Christmas so I’ve been working a lot of doubles, making it happen,” Whittington said.
What pains her losing the most is the irreplaceable items inside that hold sentimental value.
“There was a rock in it that my best friend that died of COVID last year had given to me, kind of as a joke. He said, you know, keep this forever, treasure it always and I put it in my purse and I didn’t think about it. It’s almost a year to the anniversary of his death and that’s something I can’t get back,” Whittington said.
She’s sharing her story hoping someone can help identify the person who did it and to remind others to stay aware of their surroundings at all times.
“It did make me feel pretty unsafe at that moment, that somebody would just break in and take the things that you’ve worked hard for, Whittington said.
When one of the Whittington’s customers learned about the theft, she showed up the next day with a surprise.
“She came in the other day, made sure I was working and brought me a brand new purse with actually a good Karma bracelet inside and some cash in the pocket as well. It was extremely nice and very unexpected, but it definitely restored some faith in humanity,” Whittington said.
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