A group of suspects are using a series of tricks to steal people's jewelry outside a shopping center in Northern Virginia, police warned Tuesday.
Fall Church police say the thieves, a man who is usually with one or two women, have approached victims outside the Eden Center, a Vietnamese shopping mall on Wilson Boulevard. They try to sell the victims fake jewelry, ask for directions, ask to pray with them or even ask for a hug, police said.
Once the suspects are close enough, they put cheap jewelry on the victim, while simultaneously taking the victim's valuable jewelry, police said. Then, they take off, often in a newer model Mercedes SUV, according to police.
Son Nguyen was at the Eden Center Friday evening grocery shopping. He said he took a moment to check under the hood of his car before heading home when he was approached by a man and a woman in an SUV.
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"He said he’d like to offer me money to pray for his father, for his sickness," Nguyen said.
Son Nguyen offered to pray, but declined the money. Then, the woman called him over to her side of the SUV, grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.
He said the man gave the woman a stack of jewelry and she put a necklace over Nguyen's head.
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"She pushed all the jewelry her husband give me into my hand. I didn’t have time to give it back," he said. "As soon as she shoved all the jewelry into my hand, they go and she said, 'Goodbye.'"
Nguyen soon realized his own solid gold, expensive chain was gone. The jewelry that was left on his neck and in his hand was worthless.
"It was quick. I don’t feel a thing. She just put a necklace snap on and snap off my jewelry, my necklace," he said.
Thefts like that one have been going on in this parking lot over the last year.
Vietnamese journalist Bich Phuong has been keeping track of the thefts, and said there have been between 15 and 20.
"The targets are mostly elderly men and women," Phuong said.
Nguyen is one of three people who have reported the crimes to police, but some other victims are too embarrassed to come forward.
"I just hope that Vietnamese people watching this -- do not even let them stop and pick up the conversation with you and don’t even look at the jewelry they try to show," Phuong said.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 703-241-5053 or email police@fallschurchva.gov.
