Suspects arrested in Livermore ‘pray with me’ scam

LIVERMORE — Two suspects were arrested Sunday after a 65-year-old woman lost a gold bracelet in what police described as a ‘pray together’ distraction theft scam.

The theft was reported outside a business in the 1600 block of North Vasco Road.

The victim, a Livermore resident, told police that a woman in a car asked to pray together, held her hands, and slipped replica “gold” jewelry onto her wrist. After the woman drove off, the victim realized her real gold bracelet, worth more than $500, was gone, police said.

With the assistance of the department’s Real Time Awareness Center, which utilizes license plate readers, surveillance cameras and other procedures, officers later found the suspect vehicle near the 4000 block of Las Positas Road more than two miles away.

Police arrested a 24-year-old Baltimore woman and a 29-year-old man from Renton, Washington on suspicion of grand theft and other charges. Police have not said if the real bracelet was recovered. Both suspects posted bail at Santa Rita Jail and as of early Tuesday afternoon had not been formally charged. Police have not said if the pair might be responsible for similar scams.

The theft prompted police to warn residents to stay alert and avoid close contact with strangers. They advised people to keep their distance, not allow unknown individuals to touch them or place jewelry on them, and to walk away if a situation feels suspicious.

Anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar scam is urged to contact the Livermore Police Department and try to note the suspect vehicle and direction of travel.