An 83-year-old woman had a necklace worth $1,000 stolen from her neck in Mineola and replaced with a fake one last Thursday, police said.
At 11:30 a.m., the victim was walking northbound on Willis Avenue when a white SUV with two passengers pulled up next to her.
The woman in the vehicle called for the victim to approach the SUV, which she did before hugging the woman, who she did not know, police said.
When hugging, the woman removed the victim’s necklace and replaced it with a fake one, police said. The victim later realized after the SUV drove away that she was wearing a different necklace than the original one she had on.
The driver of the SUV is described as a white man and other passenger is described as a white woman.
Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to call 1-800-244-TIPS or 911.