Thirty-five seniors have been targeted in Vancouver this year, with $245,000 in jewelry and valuables stolen. Police say travelling crime rings are behind the thefts — and that families need to pay attention
Article content
Janice Yang was gardening outside her home near Commercial Street and East 41st Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. on June 12 when a woman she didn’t know got out of a car, opened her gate and walked toward her.
Article content
The 72-year-old backed away and called for her husband. Within seconds, the stranger grabbed the necklace from Yang’s neck, pushed her to the ground and ran back to the vehicle, her family said.
Article content
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
A neighbour’s security camera captured it. Her husband came outside in time to catch the licence plate number, and the family called 911.
Article content
Sunrise
Article content
“She started moving back, saying, ‘Excuse me, what’s going on?’ and then started screaming and calling for my dad,” said her son, Phillip Yang, who translated for his mother at a police news conference Tuesday.
Article content
Police have arrested and charged a woman, but Yang’s necklace hasn’t been found.
Article content
Yang came forward, her son said, because she wanted to help other seniors avoid what happened to her.
Article content
“She felt really nervous when it happened, but she just wanted her necklace back,” he said.
Article content
Her case is one of 35 distraction thefts reported in Vancouver this year, 11 of them in June and July alone. The Vancouver Police Department says the thefts have cost victims $245,000 so far in 2026, and on Tuesday they renewed a warning to seniors and their families.
Article content
Sgt. Tim Russell of the department’s robbery, assault and arson unit called it “a disturbing trend linked to organized criminals who think nothing of targeting elderly and innocent victims.”
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
The thieves approach on foot or in a vehicle and can strip a victim of jewelry in seconds, he said, often using sleight of hand to swap the real pieces for fakes. When someone resists, Russell said, “it’s not uncommon for the thieves to violently yank the jewelry from (victims).”
Article content
Read More
Article content
The thieves are part of organized crime rings — Canadian citizens and foreign nationals — that criss-cross Canada in rental vehicles, staying in a city for a week or two before moving on, Russell said. The group in Yang’s case had travelled from Ontario, he said.
Article content
The crews can attempt up to 40 crimes in a single day, he said, and work in daylight, when seniors are outside.
Article content
Police haven’t identified any single community as a target. Russell said the thieves go after seniors precisely because they’re vulnerable. He noted Yang doesn’t speak English, which can make a theft harder to report, and said seniors are “targeted for these exact reasons.”
Article content
Article content
The number of thefts is down from last year, when Vancouver recorded 158 cases and $364,000 in losses. But Russell said the crimes are growing more brazen and sometimes more violent, as more seniors recognize what’s happening and try to fight back.
