Thieves quietly steal wallet from McKinney restaurant, rack up thousands in charges

McKinney police are searching for thieves who stole a wallet and within a matter of minutes and made nearly $3,000 in fraudulent charges.

The theft was caught on camera at a Panera restaurant off Highway 380 and Hardin Boulevard. The purse was hanging on the back of the victim's chair and a woman reached in and grabbed the wallet while a man seemed to be trying to provide cover.

Lori Gibbs, the victim, said she didn’t notice anything was wrong when she was just having a quick lunch last weekend. It wasn’t until she saw the $2,800 charge on her card that she realized her wallet was gone.

“It’s real quick, they were pros, I didn’t see them, hear them, feel them or anything,” Gibbs said.

Surveillance cameras caught the two walking up behind her. It shows the woman carefully take Gibbs’ purse from behind her, take the wallet, put the purse back -- and the two walk off within seconds.

Soon after, she got a notification about the massive charge on her credit card down the street at best buy.

“I was like something’s going on so I reached over in my purse and my wallet was gone,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs went back to Panera where she saw the video.

“I was mad at myself, first of all that I put it there, and then second was that I was so oblivious to what was going on behind me,” Gibbs said. “People know better, like I did, and they do it anyway. But I won’t let that happen again.”

McKinney police are reviewing the surveillance video, but no arrests have been made. Despite learning one difficult lesson herself, the longtime educator has one for the thieves who targeted her.

“Work and get a job and buy your own things, keep your hands to yourself.”