Areum An did not expect she would fall victim to an alleged purse thief when she was out for dinner in Toronto’s west end on Saturday evening.
An told Global News she and a friend were just finishing dinner at the Bandit Brewery on Dundas Street West when she reached for her purse and realized it was gone.
“I put my bag on my chair … and when I went to pay my bill, I realized my bag disappeared,” she said.
“There was my passport, my visa, my ID card, home key. Everything was there… We didn’t notice anything. We were talking about something and were just focused on our conversation.”
Security footage appears to show a man taking the bag. An said she went to police to report the incident.
She decided to post the video on social media with the hope that someone would be able to identify the suspect.
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An moved from South Korea 18 months ago and is here on a student visa, but the incident has left her disappointed.
“I want to believe this country is good, even if I’m an international student and I’m not good at English…. That’s why I want to catch him now,” she said.
In February, a similar incident happened at a restaurant in Markham and Toronto police Const. Craig Brister said investigators are looking into whether the two incidents are connected.
“It’s a very similar type of situation. The suspect in it looks similar to the suspect that did commit this one,” he said.
“I know investigators are aware of the situation and it’s something they are looking into.”
An said she doesn’t want her bag back anymore but would like to see the suspect is caught.
“I really want to be his last target,” she said.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact police at 416-808-5200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
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