POLICE are asking for help from the public after a heartless thief stole a wallet from a new mother in Lions Gate Hospitals maternity ward while the mom was tending to her newborn.
Cpl. Richard De Jong of the North Vancouver RCMP described the theft as shameless.
The thief apparently snuck into the womans hospital room around 1 p.m. Monday afternoon after she left the room to feed her baby.
When she returned, the mother found her wallet containing $300 gone from a drawer.
Staff were called and promptly found the wallet in a garbage can down the hall minus the cash.
Wendy Hansson, chief operating officer for Lions Gate Hospital, described the event as truly a heartless crime, made all the more disturbing because it targets a new mom caring for her child.
An image of the thief was captured on the hospitals security camera. Police are now hoping someone will recognize the man and call the RCMP.
Anna Marie DAngelo, spokeswoman for Vancouver Coastal Health, said because hospitals are open to the public, thefts do sometimes occur.
Security measures at the hospital include security guards, surveillance cameras in the hallways and staff who are trained to challenge strangers if they seem out of place, said DAngelo.
DAngelo said the hospital also discourages patients from bringing anything valuable to the hospital with them.
