OMG *jaw drop*

My jaw just dropped to the floor and I had to share it with somebody. CFMIL just left a message on our machine that BF’s 50-something aunt – the one I really like, when we see her at family events – has been ARRESTED. This is just, sadly, almost typical of BF’s extended family but I’ll get to that.

Here’s the story in the paper today. This is how CFMIL found out btw. I went online and got it after listening to her message.

Seniors allegedly robbed of purses and wallets

A woman has been charged by police after police investigated several reports of seniors having their wallets or purses stolen.

Police Officers have, since September, been investigating several incidents of seniors being approached by a woman asking for, or offering, some form of assistance. Typically, the senior discovered that a purse or wallet was missing soon after the encounter with the stranger.

The majority of incidents occurred in the area of *blank*.

On Nov. 17, members of the Police arrested *BF’s aunt* of *blanktown* in relation to these incidents.

*BF’s aunt* has been charged with being unlawfully in a dwelling house, fraud and several counts of theft.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Police would like to remind people to always be cautious if approached by a stranger and to never leave your wallet or purse unattended.

WTF?!?!?!?!
Reading this over again I can actually recall times that she has offered to help elderly folk in my presence! We were in the grocery store and — OMG *jaw drop* I saw her do it. I actually saw her do it. I saw her take an old lady’s wallet out of her purse in the shopping cart. We ran into her at the grocery store and we were talking and she turned away from us in the middle of the store to ask an old person if they needed help. I just thought she was being generous and nice and that it was so thoughtful of her to watch out for elderly folk like that. She’s always been scatter-brained and talking about one thing one minute and something else entirely the next. I thought she was just being her. Admittedly, I thought that the person she was offering to help didn’t need the help but I thought she was making a nice gesture.
After we’d turned to part ways, I think I was following behind her for a bit when she didn’t realize it and I saw her rummage in an open purse in a cart and take something out. I am positive it was a wallet but at the time I convinced myself that it wasn’t. She must have dropped a pen in there or something and just didn’t bother asking for permission to take it back. I remember thinking I should catch up to BF and mention it, I thought it was humourous that this quirky aunt was "rummaging" through other people’s stuff but then I thought I couldn’t possibly be right and didn’t want to upset BF (since his extended family has some history and I think other stuff was going on at the time).

Now my first dilemma upon hearing this news was whether or not to call BF at work to tell him. I don’t think it’s fair to spring big news (unless it’s a real serious legitimate emergency) on people at work. CFMIL always used to do that to him. I didn’t think he would be all that upset but my deciding factor was that his brother works at the same place and he calls home at lunch so I didn’t want him (who is prone to getting over-upset like his mother) to tell BF instead of someone with a cool head.
When I told him, BF chuckled.

I haven’t told him that I actually recall her stealing someone’s wallet. As you saw, I just realized that while writing this entry. NOW, my dilemma is — do I contact the police to tell them what I know? That won’t make me very popular in this family… but I was dense before… maybe this will make up for it. I dunno. Dunno if I really believe that.

what the hell….