Another Purse Taken in Church Parking Lot

A purse was taken from a vehicle in the parking lot of the on West Maple Road Wednesday. According to police reports, a woman left her car unlocked in the church parking lot around 1 p.m. to pick up her child from day care. When she returned five minutes later, her purse was gone. The woman told police the purse contained credit cards, personal ID and keys.

The incident is similar to two thefts that occured in the same parking lot in late 2010. Birmingham Police Cmdr. Terry Kiernan said police doesn't believe the three incidents are related.

"There is a bus stop right in front of the three churches ( and ) over there, so there are some transients in the area because of it," Kiernan said.

The first two incidents occured weeks apart, the and the . Both incidents involved women leaving their purse and wallets in their unlocked cars while they ran inside the Lutheran Church to pick up their children from daycare. In the Nov. 17 incident, the woman left the engine running but only her wallet was missing from the front seat of her car.

In both of those incidents, police tracked the women’s credit cards to the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Maple and Lahser, where they were used once before it was canceled. According to Kiernan, the credit cards stolen in the latest incident were not used before they were canceled.

Police are following leads, Kiernan said, but noted that no one was arrested in the previous two incidents. At the time, Kiernan said police made an effort to monitor the area.

If you have any tips, contact the at 248-530-1889. For questions about this blotter, email Laura.Houser@patch.com.