Liberty police identify, need help locating suspected wallet thieves

Authorities are looking for a man and woman believed to have racked up nearly $60,000 worth of fraudulent charges in recent weeks

Authorities are looking for a man and woman believed to have racked up nearly $60,000 worth of fraudulent charges in recent weeks

HIS MENTAL HEALTH AND LIBERTY. POLICE NEED YOUR HELP. THEY ARE TRYING TO TRACK DOWN TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE RACKED UP THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN STOLEN CREDIT CARD PURCHASES. KMBC NINE’S MATT EVANS IS IN LIBERTY WITH THAT AND WAYS. POLICE ARE WORKING TO KEEP YOU SAFE. LIBERTY POLICE SAY, AS THEY’VE BEEN INVESTIGATED IN THIS CASE, THEY’VE HAD MORE VICTIMS COME FORWARD FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE STATE LINE. THERE’S BEEN MULTIPLE THEFTS. WE’VE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE METRO. POLICE SAY THESE TWO HAVE BEEN TARGETING SHOPPERS IN STORES, STEALING WALLETS AND USING THE CREDIT CARDS TO RACK UP MORE THAN $58,000 IN CHARGES. THEY’LL APPROACH THEIR VICTIM. ONE WILL DISTRACT THEM. SOME TIMES WITH SOME KIND OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE DISCUSSION, CONFUSE THE VICTIM, AND THEN THEY’RE THEIR PURSE IS GOTTEN INTO FOR THEIR WALLET. AND IT’S NOT CLEAR EXACTLY HOW MANY CASES THEY MAY BE INVOLVED IN. THE TIPS COMING IN YESTERDAY WERE STARTING TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE OTHER AGENCIES THAT THAT HAD SIMILAR CASES. BUT I KNOW WE HAVE AGENCIES IN KANSAS AND MISSOURI BOTH THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED THEM AS BEING THEIR SUSPECTS AS WELL. POLICE SAY CASES LIKE THIS ONE IS ONE REASON THEY’VE INCREASED PATROLS IN SHOPPING AREAS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. A LOT OF THE STUFF WE’RE SEEING IS LARGE GROUPS OF SHOPLIFTERS AND VEHICLES BEING BROKEN INTO WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE KANSAS STREET CORRIDOR BETWEEN I-35 FIVE AND 291, WE SAW SEVERAL OF THOSE PATROLS HERE TODAY. AND POLICE SAY THEY’VE ALREADY NETTED SOME ARRESTS. LAST WEEKEND, I BELIEVE IT WAS, WE HAD THREE REPORTED THEFTS, TWO OF THOSE WE MADE ARRESTS ON IMMEDIATELY. POLICE ARE AGAIN REMINDING PEOPLE TO REMAIN VIGILANT. LOCK YOUR CARS, HIDE AWAY YOUR VALUABLES AND ALWAYS, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, STAY AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS IN LIBERTY. MATT EVANS, KMBC NINE NEWS. AND IF YOU WANT ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT NOW AT CNBC.COM. POLICE SAY THEY HAVE SEVERAL

Updated: 2:53 PM CST Dec 7, 2023

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Liberty police identify, need help locating suspected wallet thieves

Authorities are looking for a man and woman believed to have racked up nearly $60,000 worth of fraudulent charges in recent weeks

Updated: 2:53 PM CST Dec 7, 2023

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Police say they have successfully identified a man and woman suspected of stealing wallets and racking up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges at a Liberty retail store. However, the Liberty Police Department still needs the public's help locating Pedro Hernandez-Diaz, 43, and Rosa Rodriguez-Ponce, 49, of Chile, Missouri. The pair are believed to have racked up over $58,000 in charges on stolen credit cards during a string of wallet thefts.Hernandez-Diaz and Rodriguez-Ponce were identified through social media and cooperation with area law enforcement agencies KMBC 9 spoke with police earlier this week about the suspects. "Usually, it's a team of two obviously with the picture," Liberty Police Capt. Matt Kellogg said. "They'll approach their victim sometimes with some kind of foreign language discussion confusing the victim, and then their purse is gotten into for their wallet."Police say they aren't sure exactly how many theft cases the two suspects may be responsible for.Both are also suspects in similar crimes in and around Kansas City. Police released booking photos from the Independence Police Department on Nov. 14, 2023, shortly after a reported theft in Liberty. Both bonded out shortly after their arrest and are not currently in custody.If you recognize the suspects pictured above, police ask anyone with information to contact Liberty police at 816-439-4730 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).The liberty police department is also increasing patrols at shopping centers along the Kansas Street corridor between 291 Highway and I-35 after a notable increase in shoplifting and organized retail. The increased attention has led to resolutions in cases where suspects might have gotten away in the past.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Police say they have successfully identified a man and woman suspected of stealing wallets and racking up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges at a Liberty retail store.

However, the Liberty Police Department still needs the public's help locating Pedro Hernandez-Diaz, 43, and Rosa Rodriguez-Ponce, 49, of Chile, Missouri.

The pair are believed to have racked up over $58,000 in charges on stolen credit cards during a string of wallet thefts.

Hernandez-Diaz and Rodriguez-Ponce were identified through social media and cooperation with area law enforcement agencies

We need your help in identifying these individuals who are involved with recent wallet thefts. They've racked up over $58,000 in charges on stolen credit cards. If you recognize them, please contact us at 816-439-4730 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). pic.twitter.com/ckCLQt9gC7
— Liberty, Missouri Police Department (@libertymopd) December 4, 2023

KMBC 9 spoke with police earlier this week about the suspects.

"Usually, it's a team of two obviously with the picture," Liberty Police Capt. Matt Kellogg said. "They'll approach their victim sometimes with some kind of foreign language discussion confusing the victim, and then their purse is gotten into for their wallet."

Police say they aren't sure exactly how many theft cases the two suspects may be responsible for.

Both are also suspects in similar crimes in and around Kansas City. Police released booking photos from the Independence Police Department on Nov. 14, 2023, shortly after a reported theft in Liberty.

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Both bonded out shortly after their arrest and are not currently in custody.

If you recognize the suspects pictured above, police ask anyone with information to contact Liberty police at 816-439-4730 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

The liberty police department is also increasing patrols at shopping centers along the Kansas Street corridor between 291 Highway and I-35 after a notable increase in shoplifting and organized retail.

The increased attention has led to resolutions in cases where suspects might have gotten away in the past.

Liberty police identify, need help locating suspected wallet thieves

Authorities are looking for a man and woman believed to have racked up nearly $60,000 worth of fraudulent charges in recent weeks

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