Search for Chester County purse snatcher

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - July 2, 2010

Officials say she has stolen around $2,000 from all of her heists in Chester County since the middle of May.

One of her targets was Downingtown Middle School on May 20th, when school was in session.

Veteran health teacher Rebecca Buchholz had her large purple purse stolen from a teacher's only area.

"I'm still angry and I'd love to see who did it get caught because I don't want anybody else to have to deal with it," Buchholz said.

Police believe the same woman was behind the thefts of two purses from St. James Church in the heart of Downingtown on May 17th and June 2nd. Credit cards stolen from those purses where used in the Downingtown and Wilmington areas.

"We just need the community to come forward and help us to identify this person so we can solve these crimes," Lt. Howard Holland of the Downingtown Police said.

West Chester police believe she also pulled off the theft of a teacher's wallet from Hillsdale Elementary in mid-June. Video from a nearby Wawa shows the woman using credit cards stolen from another West Chester East Bradford school.

Police are hoping the surveillance video will spur someone to come forward and tell them who the brazen thief is. They are mindful of her apparent ability to go undetected in and out of normally secured places.

Witness says he speaks with distinctly Caribbean accent.

Anyone with information should call West Chester police or Downingtown police at 610-269-0263.

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