LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — Layton City Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who was caught on camera boldly stealing a wallet at a Winco grocery store.

Police put out video footage Friday, August 4 of a woman who stole a wallet out of a purse right in front of the victim at Winco.

In the video, you can see the woman approach the checkout line and grab a plastic bag by the bagging area. While pretending to open the bag and move away from the line, she quickly grabs the wallet out of the victim’s open purse, which was sitting in the top of the shopping cart.

The woman appears to use the plastic bag as a shield to hide the theft. Once she grabs the wallet, she quickly walks out of the store.

According to Sergeant Johnson, Layton City Police, “Thieves […] are looking for wallets sitting on top of an open purse so they can easily reach into and grab. The person I don’t think followed the target or the victim around, but when she walked by, she saw the purse opened and she saw that target of opportunity and she walked up and did a little distraction and grabbed it very smoothly.”

Police are currently searching for the suspect. If you have any information regarding the woman shown above, please contact Layton City Police at 801-497-8300 and reference case number 23-19915.