Young girl asks woman for directions, then steals her necklace in Ontario: police

A ruse in which a young girl asked a woman for directions before sneakily stealing the gold necklace from around her neck during a thank-you hug has police in Guelph warning people to be careful when interacting with strangers.

Police say the girl, believed to be about 12 years old, was in the back seat of a car and rolled down the window to ask the woman for directions in the parking lot of Willow West Mall in Guelph just before 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon.

The woman was placing items in her vehicle when a small black car or SUV stopped close to her, Guelph Police said, and the young girl called out the back window asking for directions to a business.

“After the victim provided the directions, the child leaned out the window and gave the victim a hug. The victim realized afterwards her gold necklace had been removed and replaced with a fake gold necklace,” police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Investigators said the black car/SUV was being driven by a man about 30 years of age, with brown skin, black hair and facial hair, and a heavy build.

“There were also two other young children in the vehicle,” police added.

The incident prompted police to remind residents “to be careful when interacting with strangers.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 519-824-1212, ext. 7438, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.