SAN DIEGO — A man took to social media after capturing a video of pickpocketers making their rounds, targeting people in the Gaslamp area of Downtown San Diego.
A fun night in Gaslamp can take a turn if you're not careful. The man recorded a video of pickpocketers trying to steal phones and jewelry. Now, he wants to spread the word.
"I was walking with my friend and one of the pickpocketers tried to bump into him and steal his chain," said Mohamed Ahmed, a San Diego resident.
Ahmed decided to follow the pickpocketers from a distance. He recorded a video on a recent Saturday night on Fifth Avenue in Gaslamp. In the video you can see a hand going into a purse and pulling out a phone.
"Usually they work in groups of three. There's a bag holder, a person who blocks the view of other people and a person who actually does the pickpocketing," he said.
He noticed them putting a rag over their hand before going into someone's purse or pocket. Ahmed says he's seen dozens of pickpocketing attempts and even noticed multiple groups trying to do it.
"As soon as I saw one group, I saw three groups and now every time I go downtown I can easily identify a pickpocket in the crowd and that's where they go the big crowds," he said.
Ahmed's recent video has gained more than 800,000 views. He's hopeful it will spread awareness and even help catch the pickpocketers.
"At one point I talked to a cop one of the cops said they can't do anything about it unless you have video proof of them going into the purses," he said.
CBS 8 also reached out to San Diego Police and said the department is working to gather information about pickpocketing happening in Gaslamp.
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