Elderly woman dubbed 'the hugging bandit' pickpocketed victims after pretending to know them, police said
An elderly Florida woman is accused of pickpocketing strangers by pretending she knew them and while giving them a hug swiping their credit cards and wallets, police said.
Kathy Stevens, nicknamed "the hugging bandit" by police, is being held in the Pinellas County Jail on more than a dozen charges from the Clearwater Police Department and other law enforcement agencies across the Tampa Bay area.
Stevens, 65, allegedly targeted older men and would approach them outside of stores. Clearwater police said she would act like she knew the men, give them an unwanted hug, and steal items from their pockets.
In one October incident, Stevens allegedly walked up to a victim and gave the victim a hug while reaching into a back pants pocket, according to an affidavit. The victim told the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office that after the strange encounter, the victim noticed a credit card was missing from their wallet. ...
Stevens is connected to at least four incidents in the Clearwater area, police said. ...
