Edmonds police say an elderly woman was knocked to the ground and robbed of her jewelry in a WinCo parking lot on Friday, according to the Edmonds Police Department.
Officers responded after the woman reported that someone approached her in the store’s parking lot and forcibly took her jewelry.
Police said the victim was pushed to the ground during the encounter but is expected to be okay.
Investigators released a photo of the vehicle tied to the incident and said detectives are pursuing several leads.
According to the department, the robbery appears to match a pattern seen in other cities across the region involving an organized group of men and women who use distraction tactics to target victims.
Police said evidence indicates the suspects watch people in parking lots or outside businesses before approaching.
Victims in similar cases have told officers the suspects try to confuse them by offering electronics or pieces of jewelry, creating enough distraction for someone else to remove or swap the victim’s jewelry.
Descriptions provided by victims in previous cases involved suspects with dark skin or who were believed to be of Roma/Romani or Middle Eastern descent, according to officers.
Police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that these descriptions reflect what victims have reported to law enforcement in the past.
Edmonds detectives are sharing details with other agencies in an effort to identify the group and determine whether the WinCo robbery is connected to several similar incidents reported around the region.
The department urged anyone who sees suspicious behavior in parking lots or shopping centers to call 911.
They also encouraged families to talk with older relatives about staying aware of their surroundings and to contact local police if they believe they have been targeted by this type of theft.
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