WANTED IN EDMONDS —
Edmonds Police are trying to identify these three suspects detectives say are targeting women in the workplace.
One dental assistant says it was the last thing she expected to happen while she was busy helping patients. “I’m still really upset about it,” says Nicole Waid. “It’s the last thing that I expected to happen when I was working, especially from people that, you know, were asking for help.”
Waid says the three men later seen on surveillance video in a department store at Alderwood Mall were using her credit cards to spend about $800 of her hard-earned money. “They just went and shopping and they went crazy.”
To add insult to injury, the dental assistant says the three suspects got their hands on her credit cards after they stole her purse from her job at an Edmonds dental clinic. As she and her boss worked on a patient, she says the same three men stopped by the office, asking if they took child patients. One of the men asked to use the restroom – all a plot to distract and steal, detectives say.
“They were seen leaving the area in a green van, that’s the only description we have of a vehicle,” says Edmonds Police Sgt. Shane Hawley. “Identity theft is kind of the gift that keeps on giving, unfortunately. It’s not a one-time thing, you then have to set about restoring your credit, making sure that, number one, you can prove you weren’t the person making those charges and it affects you long-term.” Nicole adds, “It disturbed my life for a while. I have pictures on my phone that I’ll never get back and my purse, I got as a birthday present and all my phone and had all my notes in it and all my stuff.”
While her dental office upgrades their security, Nicole says she’s learned a tough lesson, “Sometimes you can’t trust everybody. It’s sad that people take advantage of how nice people are, especially in a professional setting.” And she’s sharing her story so you don’t get taken advantage of too. “Who takes a woman’s purse while she’s working? I hope they get busted, definitely. No one deserves this.”
One suspect wore a white and black-striped shirt. Another one wore all white, but his shirt had a yellow logo on it and what looks like a Polo man. And, the third suspect wore a bright red baseball cap and a t-shirt with the face of a woman on the front.
If you know who any of these suspects are, call an anonymous tip into:
CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS
You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest.