Brazen Wallet Theft From Elderly Woman Lands 2 In Jail: Police

PERRIS, CA — Two convicted felons suspected of swiping a wallet from an 85-year-old woman's purse as she shopped at a Menifee store were behind bars Thursday. Domonique Porche Richmond, 26, and Deidre Yvonne Smith, 44, both of San Bernardino, were arrested Wednesday following a weeklong Riverside County sheriff's investigation and intense social media attention.

It all started on Tuesday, Feb. 20 as the elderly woman shopped at a Stater Bros. market on Newport Road, according to sheriff's Lt. Raymond Huskey. As she went about gathering her groceries, her wallet was snatched right out of her purse, which was in her cart.

"The victim did not initially realize she had been victimized and ultimately contacted the store manager for assistance," Huskey said in a press release. "The store manager immediately accessed and reviewed the store’s security surveillance system and confirmed that she had been the victim of a theft and called the police."

Following the incident, photos of the theft were shared widely across social media in an effort to identify the woman seen grabbing the wallet in store surveillance footage.

Huskey said detectives developed leads about the individuals allegedly involved in the theft, eventually identifying Hammond and Smith. The pair were located on Wilson Avenue in Perris, where they were taken into custody without incident.

Richmond was booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of parole violations, while Smith was booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside on suspicion of burglary, theft by force and identity theft.

Smith is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, and Richmond is being held without bail.

According to court records, Smith has prior convictions in San Bernardino County for burglary, forgery and receiving stolen property. Records showed Richmond has priors for burglary and grand theft.

— Images via Riverside County Sheriff's Department / City News Service contributed to this report