Jewelry thieves targeting victims of Southeast Asian descent during Diwali, Frisco police warn
FRISCO, Texas - Frisco police are investigating a string of jewelry robberies targeting victims of Southeast Asian descent.
The family of one victim says the whole ordeal only lasted a couple of minutes, and she didn't even notice her jewelry was gone until after the thieves left.
For a 55-year-old Frisco woman, it happened in less than three minutes outside her own home last Friday.
"They were calling her with the name ‘aunty’ or ‘dede,’ like Southeast Asian languages like Hindi, Pakistani or Nepali languages. So she understood them. She was like maybe they need some help or they are asking about something," explained the victim’s daughter-in-law, Subina Adhikari Bhattrai. "They were like, ‘Aunty please help us. We are praying. I am going through some situation. I am worried. Please pray with me.’ They held her hands and not leaving her. She explained to us she wanted to get out of the situation, but they held her so tight she couldn’t leave. They were touching her hands, and they were touching her neck. She was unaware of it. I don’t know what they were doing."
After the thieves left, the 55-year-old victim noticed her gold bracelet and her gold necklace were gone and replaced with fake jewelry. Her real jewelry totaled more than $5,000.
(Fake jewelry replaced by thieves)
"She is still in shock," Bhattrai said. "Every time we talk about the issue, she says she doesn’t even know what happened during that time."
Frisco PD confirmed at least five jewelry thefts since last week in neighborhoods along Main Street in between Preston Road and Coit Road.
Police say older victims of Southeast Asian descent are being targeted.
The thieves are in a vehicle and pull up to a victim walking. They get out and engage in small talk with the victim. They ask for directions, a hug or a blessing. Police say that’s when the thieves quickly remove the jewelry.
Sushma Malhotra, president of the India Association of North Texas, says the Indian community faces this fear around this time of year known as Diwali, a celebration to the goddess of wealth.
"People go and get it from their safe deposit boxes just for this time of year," she said. "Everyone knows this is our festive time. This is the time that our community they have jewelry on because they are going to festivities. They go to the temple."
This is the third year in a row that Frisco police have seen these types of jewelry thefts. They are investigating the trend.
Frisco police say no arrests were ever made when similar crimes happened in 2022 and 2023.
This time around, police hope someone with video will come forward.