This is the shocking CCTV footage of a brazen thief who stuffed his hands into a woman's bag and stole her phone, wallet and car keys, while sitting in a beauty salon in the south inner city.
Susan Tian (37) had been on a work trial at the salon.
She told The Sunday World that she was nervous about her trial and had forgotten that she left her bag on the couch.
“Three people came in together, one wanted her eyebrows done, I was so preoccupied I forgot about my handbag”.
In the footage the handbag thief can be seen sitting beside a woman in leopard print trousers who, Ms Tian says, arrived with him and the third female.
“The other lady was trying to get attention from the staff,” said Ms Tian.
The incident occurred last Thursday and since then Ms Tian says she has had little interaction with the garda investigating the case, despite the striking video evidence.
Ms Tian is now living in fear as the thief has her wallet, car keys, identification and phone.
Her husband took to Facebook to ask for help, writing: “This is a video of my wife's handbag being stolen... He took phone, cash and the only set of car keys we have so we cannot drive the car now it’s a Nissan smartkey has to order from Japan. If anybody found the key or knows him please contact me.”
Ms Tian and her husband have removed the wheels from their car and are fearful that the thieves will try to target them again.
“I’m really worried that might come back for the car,” she said.
The brazen crook even answered the stolen phone until the victim remotely locked the device.
“He was answering the phone and just listening and breathing” she told The Sunday World, “my husband pleaded with him, he said ‘you can have everything else, just give us the car keys’ , but the man said nothing.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Bridewell Garda Station on (01) 666 8200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.