SENECA — A quick and currently unidentified criminal is being sought by the Seneca Police Department.

Robbie Johnson of the Seneca PD said Thursday that officers are looking for a roughly 5’7’’ white female, 25 to 30 years old suspected of breaking into cars and snatching purses from the vehicles. She was last seen driving a white Toyota Camry, and has also been seen traveling with a possible conspirator described as dark-skinned, possibly Hispanic with dark hair.

“We’ve had four inside the city limits alone,” Johnson said, acknowledging that the suspect is believed to have targeted cars in the Walhalla and West Union area as well.

The incidents began May 4, with the most recent occurring Wednesday. So far, the suspect has entered vehicles at well-known childcare facility locations at Seneca First Baptist Church, St. Mark Methodist Church and Cambridge Child Development Center.

The crimes follow a noticeable pattern, Johnson and officer Mike Teramano said, as each incident occurred before 9 a.m., at church and childcare locations and most often on Mondays.

The last break-in, while occurring on a Wednesday, was preceded by an attempt by the suspect to scout a possible location on Monday. An employee of the facility confronted the woman about her presence in the parking lot, at which point she quickly left before police arrived.

The suspect’s modus operandi is to gain easy entry to vehicles by picking out unlocked cars, most likely as mothers are dropping off their children for care in the morning, swiping their purses and then using the contents quickly.

So far the individual has most often taken the victims’ debit and credit cards and immediately used them to purchase gift cards at Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s and CVS. She’s also used them with haste at various convenience stores across Oconee County.

“In all of these cases, within 10 minutes of them being reported, she goes out and buys gift cards with them,” Johnson said.

It’s a clever trick Johnson said allows the suspect to continue to use the victims’ cash even after the stolen debit cards are frozen, and also makes tracking more difficult.

“This last time we missed her by five minutes,” Johnson said.

While police do not have the suspect’s identity, they do have multiple still-frames of her from store surveillance video, which was provided to the Daily Journal/Messenger. So far the suspect has obtained $5,000 worth of goods from various stores using her method of theft. Residents are encouraged never to leave their cars unlocked in parking lots, even for short durations.

Anyone with knowledge of the suspect’s identity or information regarding these crimes is encouraged to contact Oconee County CrimeStoppers at (864) 638-STOP. There is a possible reward available for information leading to the criminal’s arrest.