Police have apprehended two people who ran a scheme to distract a woman and take her purse.

Cornelius Parker, 54, and Winifred Jerrel Gaynor, 51, were charged with second-degree theft of property in connection with a robbery at a local grocery store on Aug. 29. Both are from New Orleans.

Police spokesman Lt. Bryan Lynch said that Parker asked the victim a question to distract her, while Gaynor took a wallet out of the victim’s purse, which was sitting in a shopping buggy.

“We strongly recommend that ladies use a small business card case to keep all their credit and debit cards, money, etc. in, rather than a wallet that is left in your buggy,” Lynch said. “The business card case should be kept in a secure pocket.”

Parker and Gaynor are being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $15,000 bond.