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Woman arrested for crimes against senior citizens www.privateofficer.com
May 6, 2008
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Woman arrested for crimes against senior citizens wwww.privateofficer.com
Boynton Beach Fla. May 6 2008
By: Kyle T. Greene
Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers
www.privateofficer.com
Boynton Beach police Sunday arrested Rebecca Zolnay, 27, a woman they say was part of a ring of criminals targeting senior citizens, many in their 80s, snatching their wallets and using the credit and ATM debit cards to buy thousands of dollars worth of gift cards from local stores.
“This was a crime of opportunity,” said detective sergeant Frank Ranzi, of Boynton Beach police. “Here you have a case of young people targeting senior citizens because they’re an easy target. It’s terrible.”
The thefts took place at the Super Wal-Mart at 3200 Old Boynton Road between February and May of this year.
Zolnay worked with two accomplices, Tammy Evans-Demeritte, 39, and Mavis Camille Johnson, 41, to take advantage of elderly women between 60 and 93 years old, police said.
Based on video surveillance footage, police conclude that it was Evans-Demeritte and Johnson’s job to steal from the victims.
One would approach an elderly woman and distract her while the other seized the victim’s wallet when she wasn’t looking.
“It really took them (the thieves) 5 seconds to snatch their wallets, not even,” Boynton Beach police spokesperson Stephanie Slater said.
Zolnay, who turned herself in after fleeing to Texas, now faces 40 felony counts, including grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, forgery, criminal use of personal identification information and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Evans-Demeritte and Johnson are already in jail for non-related charges, but will also face charges similar to Zolnay’s in connection with the thefts.
Police believe there may be more than 30 additional victims of thefts that occurred at the same Wal-Mart since September 2007.
Boynton Beach police Sunday arrested Rebecca Zolnay, 27, a woman they say was part of a ring of criminals targeting senior citizens, many in their 80s, snatching their wallets and using the credit and ATM debit cards to buy thousands of dollars worth of gift cards from local stores.
“This was a crime of opportunity,” said detective sergeant Frank Ranzi, of Boynton Beach police. “Here you have a case of young people targeting senior citizens because they’re an easy target. It’s terrible.”
The thefts took place at the Super Wal-Mart at 3200 Old Boynton Road between February and May of this year.
Zolnay worked with two accomplices, Tammy Evans-Demeritte, 39, and Mavis Camille Johnson, 41, to take advantage of elderly women between 60 and 93 years old, police said.
Based on video surveillance footage, police conclude that it was Evans-Demeritte and Johnson’s job to steal from the victims.
One would approach an elderly woman and distract her while the other seized the victim’s wallet when she wasn’t looking.
“It really took them (the thieves) 5 seconds to snatch their wallets, not even,” Boynton Beach police spokesperson Stephanie Slater said.
Zolnay, who turned herself in after fleeing to Texas, now faces 40 felony counts, including grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, forgery, criminal use of personal identification information and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Evans-Demeritte and Johnson are already in jail for non-related charges, but will also face charges similar to Zolnay’s in connection with the thefts.
Police believe there may be more than 30 additional victims of thefts that occurred at the same Wal-Mart since September 2007.
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