Woman suspected of using children to steal purse

TUKWILA, Wash. -- What started as a visit to Seattle from Eastern Washington didn’t end quite the way the Cunningham family wanted.

“My wife and I were at Joey’s restaurant at Southcenter with some friends,” said Landon Cunningham. “We got up to leave and then her purse was gone.”

The restaurant’s surveillance system caught the purse thief in action, a boy who looks about 9 or 10 years old with two other children, carrying out a purse. That same bag then later seen on the arms of a woman.

“Who knows if they’re her kids; we really don’t know,” said Cunningham.

Inside their purse, Cunningham says wasn’t just money or credit cards, but important medication for his daughter and years of memories.

“My daughter has a really bad allergy to fish, and we always have an epi pen in there and so that was gone and that’s $400, and my wife’s phone which had about 1000 photos on there,” said Cunningham.

The store’s manager said this kind of crime is uncommon, especially involving children.

“That someone would put them in that position, that they would use and manipulate, it’s an unfortunate thing,” said Ryan Ramey, a store manager.

The store managers said the Southcenter Mall Security took the report. According to the Cunningham, he has also notified surrounding police departments after his credit cards were used at a Kent gas station and a Renton pizza place.