SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Police say a sneaky thief grabbed an employee's purse and car at a South Salt Lake IHOP restaurant on Sunday.
The incident was caught on the restaurant's surveillance video system, as the thief ducked and crawled behind the store counter to grab the employee's purse.
Police say the thief walked out of the restaurant on 2100 South 307 West and stole the employee's silver 4-door 2003 Chevy Impala that was located in the parking lot using the keys found inside the purse.
The victim, a 22-year-old female IHOP employee told police that when she was ready to leave work at 7:00 a.m., she discovered that her black leather purse was missing from under her workstation and her car was gone.
Police say investigators viewed the restaurant’s surveillance video, and saw the suspect, dressed in motorcycle garb as she entered the restaurant just before 5:00 A.M. and headed to the restroom.
As the suspect walks past the workstation, police say she looked back, checking the location of the employee’s purse.
Just moments later, police say the suspect walked toward the door as if to leave and looked over her shoulder to check for the employees.
Police say the suspect then crouched down on the floor and made a "Spiderman/Ninja" crawl back to the workstation, stole the purse and walked out the door.
Police say the suspect walked in the restaurant and stole the purse in less than two minutes.
The employees told police that the suspect arrived at the restaurant on a motorcycle or
scooter with another person who stayed outside.
Police say it also appears that the suspect had planned out the heist and knew the location of the purse.
Police described the suspect as a young woman in her early 20s, with brown hair, wearing a black leather jacket, black helmet, and dark denim jeans.
The stolen vehicle's Utah License Plate number is B218 SW.
Police asked the public to help identify the female suspect in the video, and to call them at 801-840-4000 with any information about the incident.
----Information from: South Salt Lake Police Dept.
