Two Men Rob 89-year-old Woman by Taking Advantage of her Helpful Nature

An 89-year-old woman was robbed in a Tinley store last week while a man distracted her in a grocery aisle, insisting he needed her help.

The Frankfort woman was buying food at Super Target, 7300 191st St., July 21 between 1 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. when she noticed that her wallet was missing from her purse. In that time frame, a man approached her saying he needed help grabbing the items he wanted to buy.

"While she was shopping, an unknown male subject kept asking her to assist him in getting items off the shelf," the report said. " … The subject asked her approximately three times to assist him in getting items off the shelves for him."

When she later dug through her purse to find her list, she noticed that her wallet was gone.The woman typically keeps her purse closed and places it in the child seat of the shopping cart, police said.

She contacted managers in the store and they suggested she cancel all of her credit cards. When she went home to do so, she found that two purchases had been made at Target — one for $933.49 and the other, $900. A third charge at Carson Pirie Scott in Orland Park was denied.

"(The loss prevention officer) informed me that the two purchases … were for six Target gift cards for $300 each," according to the report. "(He) immediately canceled all six gift cards."

Video surveillance showed a woman making the purchase, police said. It also showed that two men, not one, were around the victim when she was robbed.

The theft remained under investigation Wednesday.