Southpinellas: Woman accused of robbing shoppers

Woman accused of robbing shoppers

Police say they found stolen purses, credit cards and checkbooks among her groceries.

By PATRICK COOPER

ST. PETERSBURG -- Thirty minutes after Bonnie Henri reported her purse stolen in a St. Petersburg supermarket, police say they found it Tuesday afternoon in a car driven by a woman with a long record of theft and illegal credit card use.

Michelle D. Kroitzsch was arrested and charged in connection with that theft and several more after an officer found other stolen purses, credit cards and checkbooks hidden in Kroitzsch's grocery bags.

Kroitzsch, 30, was charged with trafficking in credit cards, possession of heroin and possession of the tranquilizer Atavan. She was held in Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $40,000 bail.

While shopping at Albertson's Food & Drug at 3700 Fourth St. N, Henri said she never noticed anyone suspicious around her. The store was "amazingly empty," and shopping seemed to be moving along quickly, she said.

But by the time she reached the checkout counter, her purse was gone.

Eleanor O'Brien's purse also was taken Tuesday as she shopped at the Publix at 200 37th Ave. N, a couple of blocks from Albertson's. O'Brien said the only suspicious incident she remembered in the supermarket was a man bumping into her cart.

"That was the only (person) that I could think of that came close to me," O'Brien said.

Kroitzsch, who police say is a transient, has been charged numerous times with felonies including grand theft, burglary and illegal credit card use. She received probation for several of these offenses. In December, Kroitzsch tried to use a stolen check at a Publix supermarket at 5295 34th St. S and then fled, police said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, an officer familiar with the case recognized the car she was driving and followed her. Kroitzsch pulled into a 64th Avenue S driveway and pretended she knew the people who lived in the house, but those people said they didn't know who she was, police said.

When the officer examined the grocery bags inside the car, the stolen items were found inside the bags, police said. The officer also found credit card receipts in the center console of the car.