A mother of eight from North Carolina is going viral thanks to a video of her tracking down pickpockets in Venice while she was on her way to a Mediterranean cruise. See video below.
@karismcelroy my mom caught the girl who stole her purse and turned her in to police lol #jet2holiday #pickpocketing #venice #foryoupage ♬ Jet2 Advert – ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧
Her daughter, Karis McElroy, shared the video of the confrontation and did a follow-up on TikTok (embedded below) to explain what happened. McElroy says the incident happened just after her mom and her husband arrived at their Venice, Italy Airbnb. Three young women crowded her on a bridge near the property and by the time she reached the door she realized her backpack had been unzipped. Her purse and a heavy metal water bottle were gone. Inside the bag were her passport, credit cards, AirPods and cash.
@karismcelroy Replying to @kennedy STORY TIME #pickpocketing #foryoupage ♬ original sound – karis
Using Apple’s “Find My” tracking feature linked to her AirPods, the couple were able to trace the stolen bag back to the suspects. The woman confronted them directly, grabbing one of the girls by the ponytail and refusing to let go until police arrived. Her determination paid off, though the confrontation turned violent when one suspect swung the stolen bag at her, causing a head injury that required stitches.
With the help of their Airbnb host, local shopkeepers and Venetian police, the couple eventually recovered her passport and credit cards. The cash and AirPods were gone, but the crucial travel document meant their cruise could go on as planned.
The story has since gone viral not only for the dramatic chase but also for the kindness of the local community. The jewelry shop owner next door even gifted her a necklace as a gesture of support.
According to Il Messaggero, the girl who was yanked by the ponytail was only 14 years old and was released on bail just two days later so don’t be surprised if you see her out on the circuit again.
If you receive my newsletter (sign up for free here) then you know I’m constantly alerting readers to be aware of pickpockets, not just in Venice but all of Europe and tourist attractions worldwide.
Travel expert Rick Steves says on his website: “Thieves in Europe target American tourists not because the thieves are mean… but because they’re smart. We’re the ones with the good stuff in our purses and wallets… A petite bump and a slight nudge getting off the Métro in Paris and bam wallet gone.” The best protection is to know the scams, be aware, use an anti-theft bag and always keep an eye on your belongings.
Here are a couple of videos showing how easy it is for thieves to steal your belongings if you’re careless. The video below is from London with a tourist crossing the street. As you can see, the thieves like to work in threes so one person can grab the stuff while the other two “wingmen” can block the public from seeing.
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Oftentimes it’s young girls who act like tourists and use maps to block the public’s view of their hand slipping into someone’s bag. See below:
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As you can imagine, the mother from North Carolina is being hailed a hero since she’s doing God’s work by getting back her belongings and hopefully deterring thieves from doing it again.
Here are some of the top comments from McElroy’s TikToks:
Princeandtheshowgirl: Please tell your mom that she did America proud and she is an absolute queen.
MadiEngel27: Normalize everyone reacting like this to pickpockets! Your mom is a badass
Novarolla: Your mom saying she had 8 kids when the girl tried screaming in her face. 🤣🤣🤣
Vidilli: She started a trend. I’ve seen other videos now of tourists grabbing them by their hair too 👏 👏 👏
Gisella: Tell ur mom to mark the AirPods as lost. This way the pickpockets can’t use it.
Alexandria Prince: Dear other countries. Do NOT pickpocket us for your own safety….we have anger issues
We do have anger issues and I think anyone who has had their wallet and passport stolen would, too.
There are vigilantes in both Paris and Venice who go around following thieves and then blow a whistle or use a horn to alert victims of what’s happening. They work on donations so consider helping the good cause.
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Here’s an interview by CNN of Monica Poli, a Venice native who spends her time warning tourists about pickpockets in the area. She yells at naysayers, chases after them and has gone viral for posting her mission on social media under the name Cittadini Non Distratti.
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