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Police warn of series of robberies targeting female shoppers

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A warning for women: Police say thieves are targeting them near a busy shopping center, snatching purses and leaving the women terrified.

In just moments, your phone, your belongings, you cash and your identity can be taken from you.

Tina Staples knows this firsthand. Channel 2's Carl Willis met her while she was out shopping at the Arrowhead Shopping Center on Tara Boulevard. Arrowhead is one of the hottest spots for purse-snatching robberies according to Clayton County police.

Staples said she witnessed an incident just a week ago.

"Within one second, he has taken this lady's bag, and I was so scared," Staples said.

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Police said there were 22 cases of purse snatching reported between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. And new incidents took place as recently as Friday and Sunday.

The thieves mainly want phones and purses.

"The victims all reported having their purses on their arm and somebody just comes up behind them, where they can't get a real good look at them, and starts tugging at their purse," said Sgt. Ashanti Marbury, with the Clayton County Police Department.

Marbury said the thieves choose targets who are distracted, either because they are loading groceries or talking on their cellphones.

"Try to put the phones away. Put them somewhere where it's not visible because we've even had an instance where the phone was snatched from a victim's back pocket," said Marbury.

Police said they're running targeted patrols, and have an undercover detail working to find leads.