Phoenix police are looking for a teenage girl whom they say stole an elderly Phoenix woman's wedding ring after meeting her at a grocery store on Sunday afternoon, after the woman offered to buy the suspect gas.
About 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, the 80-year-old victim was in the shampoo aisle of a grocery store at 545 East Bell Road in Phoenix when a young woman approached her and asked for money.
The suspect, who police say is between 16 and 19 years old, identified herself as a hairstylist and offered to help the old lady style her hair.
Then, police say, the suspect told the woman that she needed money so she could put gas in her car.
The 80-year-old victim told the girl that she had no cash on her but -- out of the kindness of her heart -- offered to go with her to an ATM machine and get her some money.
The victim and the suspect left the grocery store, hopped in the victim's car, and drove to an ATM machine, where the victim attempted to get the suspect some cash.
The victim was unable to get any cash from the machine, at which point the suspect, according to Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio, "became very aggressive."
Samudio says the suspect then grabbed the victim's hand and ripped off the wedding ring she was wearing.
The suspect then jumped out of the car and fled on foot.
Police haven't located the suspect but describe her as a white female between the ages of 16 and 19 years old, 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-6, 130-140 pounds, with long dark hair (check out surveillance footage of the girl above).
Samudio says he fears that the suspect will continue to hunt down vulnerable, elderly victims if she is not stopped.
Anyone with any information about the crime is asked to call Phoenix police Detective Buvala at 602-534-0272.
