“Operation Jingle”, Distraction Theft Awareness December 2019

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Jan 05, 2026

4 sought in distraction theft of Hamilton senior; 2 paramedics hit by dump truck

Cops in Hamilton are on the hunt for four suspects wanted for a distraction theft targeting an elderly woman. Read more.

torontosun.com

'Cops in Hamilton are on the hunt for four suspects wanted for a distraction theft targeting an elderly woman.'

'Hamilton Police said on Dec. 6, around 3 p.m., an elderly woman was targeted while shopping at Fortino’s at 1579 Main St. W. as four suspects worked together to distract the victim and steal her wallet from her purse, along with her PIN.'

Following the theft, the suspects used the victim’s debit and credit cards, withdrawing about $3,500 in cash and making an additional $750 in purchases.''

'Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the four suspects.

Suspect No. 1 is described as an older male adult wearing a dark winter coat, dark flat cap, glasses, dark pants and shoes seen wearing red gloves.

The second suspect is described as wearing a navy-blue Nike jacket, black knit toque, and light-coloured scarf and dark pants.

Suspect No. 3 is described as a male wearing a grey knit toque with logo and wearing a dark jacket with light-coloured hood and carrying a red bottle.

The fourth suspect is described as wearing a light-coloured winter jacket, fur-lined hat, and scarf and pushing a shopping cart.''

 

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• January 30, 2026 lengthy, rbbm.
• 11 suspects identified, over 80 charges laid in Hamilton distraction theft case
• 'A two-month investigation into distraction thefts targeting seniors in Hamilton has led to more than 80 charges against 11 people police allege are associated with a criminal network.
  Hamilton police say they had recorded 96 distraction thefts by November 2025 — exceeding the total combined number of such incidents between 2021-24.''''This sharp increase prompted investigators to launch Project Heirloom in an effort to identify those responsible for deliberately distracting seniors in retail stores, parking lots, and public spaces in order to steal wallets, jewelry, and banking information.
  “Early in the investigation, detectives identified consistent patterns among the suspects,” Hamilton police wrote in a media release Friday.
  “Many were based in the Scarborough area, relied on short-term rental accommodations, and used rental vehicles that were frequently changed, making tracking difficult.”
  Officers say they also learned that the suspects would travel to Hamilton for “single-day theft sprees” and leave the city for weeks at a time to commit similar offences elsewhere in southern Ontario.''
  
  then

''Forty-year-old Florian Stoian and 46-year-old Ana Marie Petrescu have been identified as the suspects and are wanted on 21 theft-related charges each. Both have been linked to similar offences across the country and are also wanted by Toronto and Halton police services.''