Police searching for 2 women who stole $12K of purses from Bloomingdale's

NEWTON, Mass. — Bloomingdale’s at Chestnut Hill is a high-end shopping destination, and police say that’s what drew two alleged shoplifters in.

Surveillance video shows the women peruse and pick up several expensive Moschino handbags then walk right out without paying.

“And when they left they were carrying some 8-10 hand bags valued at somewhere between $10,000 to $12,000 dollars,” Newton Police Lt. Bruce Apotheker said.

Once outside, the pair made a run for it with the handbags swinging from their arms as they sprinted across the parking lot headed for their getaway car.

“They get into a vehicle. They almost strike a car as that’s pulling out of the parking lot,” Apotheker said.

The white SUV veers left to avoid getting hit, and that’s when the license plate. Mass registration FF16CW is clearly visible.

As the SUV speeds away, security cameras show it racing toward Route 9 where they run a red light and drive into oncoming traffic.

“The way they cross Route 9, they had a red light, cars were going on Route 9 heading westbound and they cut them off and went right through that light,” Apotheker said.

Luckily, no one was hit, but police call it a reckless move.

“Somebody could have been killed. They could have been killed other people could have been killed,” Apotheker said.

The purse snatchers vanished with about $12,000 in stolen handbags.

Police said the SUV they were in was also reported stolen. Anyone who recognizes the women or has seen the vehicle is asked to call Newton Police at 617-796-2100.

Cox Media Group