The Brownwood Police Department is investigating at least 5 reports of purses or ladies wallets stolen from several retail stores in the Brownwood area.  Police report that the circumstances in all of the cases are similar.

A woman identified as 34-year-old Diana Lynn Nelson was arrested in connection with one of the thefts that occurred at Wal-Mart on Monday and charged her with theft of property with 2 or more previous convictions.

Police are investigating all of the thefts and have or are obtaining surveillance video from some of the stores.

Here is a rundown of the 5 reported cases in order of their occurrence from Brownwood Police Reports:

-On Monday, October 26^th just before noon a female shopper at Brookshires reported that her wallet was stolen from her shopping basket.  The victim remembered a young woman with a small child walking on the same isles as her while she shopped.   The victim later realized that her wallet was missing.  It was recovered later at the store, but the cash inside was missing.

-On Tuesday, October 27^th at around 2:40pm a woman shopping at CVS Pharmacy on Austin Avenue was in the make-up isle when a woman began talking to her.  After a conversation with the woman, the victim went to make a purchase and realized that her wallet was missing.  Soon after, the wallet was found outside the store with all of the cash missing.

-On Friday, October 30^th at approximately 1:40pm an 84-year-old woman was shopping at Brookshires Grocery Store using a motorized scooter.  She placed her purse at her feet on the scooter and carried on with her shopping trip.  According to the victim, a woman with a young child offered to help her find an item in the store.  She realized later that her wallet was missing and suspects the woman who helped her eariler took it.

-On Monday, November 2^nd a woman called police to report that she believes while shopping at Big Lots her wallet was stolen.  The victim said that she arrived at Big Lots at 11am and shopped for about an hour.  She realized that her wallet was missing as she tried to make a purchase.

-On Monday, November 2^nd Wal-Mart security contacted police to report a stolen purse shortly before noon.  The victim told police that while she was shopping, someone took her purse from her shopping basket.  They later found it in another part of the store with cash missing.  The victim said that while she was shopping in the linen section of the store, she noticed another woman on the same isle.  After the woman passed, she realized that her purse was missing.  Police reviewed surveillance video and connected the theft to Diana Nelson who was seen in the store and was arrested.

Police are continuing their investigation into all of these thefts.