Scarborough woman charged in Kitchener thefts

Waterloo Regional Police have charged a 22-year-old woman from Scarborough in three jewellery distraction thefts in Kitchener. (wrps.ca) Police said the arrest happened on April 16, 2026, and the charges were announced April 17. Investigators linked the accused to three incidents that happened on November 4, 2025. (wrps.ca) The woman was charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of robbery. Police said she was held for a bail hearing. (wrps.ca) A distraction theft is a grab carried out during a conversation or another diversion, often with jewellery, wallets or purses taken before the victim realizes it. Waterloo Regional Police have used that term in several recent cases in Kitchener and Waterloo. (wrps.ca) In one Kitchener case from January 31, 2026, police said a man pointed a driver toward a rear tire and left loonies on the ground; when the woman checked, her purse was gone. The theft was reported from a business area near King Street East and Gateway Park Drive. (wrps.ca) In another case on April 6, 2026, police said an 85-year-old man was approached by a man and woman in the Costco parking lot on Erb Street West in Waterloo, and the woman removed his necklace during the exchange. The pair then left in a white sport utility vehicle, police said. (wrps.ca) Kitchener police have also reported older victims being targeted at home. On July 1, 2025, officers said an elderly woman on Zeller Drive was distracted on her front porch while suspects stole her jewellery and drove off in an unplated newer-model Toyota RAV4. (wrps.ca) The April 17 charge does not end the investigation. Waterloo Regional Police asked anyone with information to call 519-570-9777, and said anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers. (wrps.ca)