The circumstances of the July 8 theft of $4,000 from a woman in Fayetteville by two women posing as Good Samaritans serves as a cautionary tale for others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
Fayetteville Police spokesperson Steve Crawshaw said the July 8 incident began when a 78-year-old Jonesboro woman walked out of the Dollar Tree store at the Fayette Pavilion.
The woman was approached by a woman in her 40s, telling the victim one of her tires was flat and that someone had been called to repair it, Crawshaw said.
The woman told the victim she could wait in her vehicle until the repair was completed. The victim entered the vehicle to find another woman, approximately 50 years of age, behind the driver’s seat, said Crawshaw.
Crawshaw said the women then told the victim that she needed to give them $5,000 for having her flat tire repaired. The victim said she did not have that much money in the bank so the women told her to give them $4,000, said Crawshaw.
The victim was driven to a local Bank of America where she entered the bank, followed by one of the women. While in the bank the victim asked an employee how to withdraw that sum of money, though she did not indicate the circumstances for the withdrawal, said Crawshaw. When contacted later, the employee said he saw the woman who followed the victim into the bank but thought she was a customer, Crawshaw added.
Crawshaw said the victim made the withdrawal, exited the bank and gave the money to the women. The victim was subsequently dropped off at her vehicle at the Pavilion, said Crawshaw.
The incident was reported after the victim called her daughter, who told her to call the bank and the police, Crawshaw said.
Crawshaw said Fayetteville Police are searching for a black woman in her mid-40s with a thin build. The woman was wearing a blue sleeveless dress and sunglasses.
The driver of the vehicle was described as a black female of approximately age 50, wearing a flowery shirt and sunglasses, said Crawshaw.
The vehicle used in the theft was a dark blue Toyota or Honda.
Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to contact Fayetteville Police at 770-461-4441.
