Thieves nab Oak Lawn dance instructor's wallet, surveillance video captures their scheme
DALLAS - A Dallas business owner says surveillance video captured a thief who stole her wallet from her dance studio.
Shorena Gachechiladze, the owner of GS Ballroom Center of Dance in Oak Lawn, says one woman distracted her by asking about classes while another took off with her wallet.
Gachechiladze said in 16 years of business, she's never had to deal with anything like the crime she experienced on Saturday.
"I got sick to my stomach and nervous and upset," she said.
Store surveillance video shows a woman walking up to the office area and stealing Gachechiladze's purse.
She says the thief and another woman came to the door claiming to be interested in dance lessons.
The woman seen in the video asked to use the restroom. That's when she ran into Josephine Phelan, a student at the studio.
"I walked out of the bathroom and one of the girls were sitting there," said Phelan. "It surprised me and I asked her if she was trying to use the bathroom."
Instead of walking back to the main part of the studio, the masked woman walked toward the office area and stole the wallet.
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"I got so upset with myself. How did I do this? I trusted, I was so welcoming and nice. Look what they did to me," said Gachechiladze.
A few minutes later, Gachechiladze said she got a fraud alert on her phone. A purchase at Walmart for $505.
"I tried to call my husband to see if he tried to buy something in Walmart, but he didn’t answer. I said, ‘I will take care of this later, because I have two more classes to do,’" she said.
It wasn't until she finished her classes that she noticed the wallet was gone.
"I go to the store to get some fruit, I open my bag and there is no wallet," Gachechiladze said.
So she checked her surveillance video and that's when she saw what happened.
"I didn’t put those two together. So I went in my app and watched my cameras and here you go," Gachechiladze said.
Dallas Police are now investigating this crime and Gachechiladze says she just wants to get the word out in case there are other victims.
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"Hopefully with this footage we send word out there to other businesses to watch out. I cannot say don’t be nice, but be extra cautious," she said.
The business's front door camera did not capture the suspects' vehicle.
Dallas Police tell FOX 4 there have not been any similar thefts in that area, but since posting the video Gachechiladze says others have reached out to her, claiming they experienced similar incidents.