We took my mom to Pier 39 today for a cruise around the bay and some hanging out on the pier. After a nice, but rather chilly day, we headed over to the parking garage to leave. Sometime in the 30 seconds between paying the fee and getting on the elevator, someone snatched her bag off her shoulder without her noticing.
We looked around the car and retraced our steps with no luck. I tried calling her phone but it had already been switched off. We then went down to the security station to report the theft, not with the expectation that anything would happen, just in the off chance that it was dropped and some nice person would turn it in.
We called the phone and credit card people to get things disabled, the credit people informed us that the card had been used to make a few small purchases at the NFL Shop over on the pier. We called the security staff at the pier back hoping they might find at least her ID in the area, flying back home without it is going to be a bit of a pain.
Much to our surprise they went to the store where the charges had occurred and talked to the staff there. The girl who had been using the card was actually still standing outside the store. The clerk pointed her out and the security guys followed her back to her car.
Once at her car, the security staff confronted her. She then proceed to try to run them down and smashed the gate on her way out of the garage. A very big thanks to the Pier 39 security staff for following through and risking life and limb trying to stop her.
She did get away, but the police have a description of her and the license plates of the car she was driving. A minor crime has now turned into something pretty major. Also a thanks to the SF Police, they have been great to deal with on this.