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Teacher: Someone Stole Her Credit Cards As She Taught Class

FOUNTAIN VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — A local teacher didn't expect an education in stealing, but that is what she got when thieves stole credit cards from her purse and went on a shopping spree.

The suspected thief was filmed on a security tape using stolen credit cards to buy thousands of dollars of shoes and purses at Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza just over two weeks ago. Another woman was seen minutes earlier using the same stolen credit cards at a Sephora next to Bloomingdales.

Police suspect that the two women or someone they knew stole the credit cards from the teacher's purse at Fountain Valley Elementary School while the teacher was giving a lesson.

The thieves charged more than $5,000 by the time the teacher noticed her cards were missing as classes ended.

"It scares me a little bit," said Karen Kohatsu, an employee at a daycare program at the school.

Kohatsu said that the day the card disappeared, there was a big pep rally on campus where visitors were invited. Even though they had to sign in and wear badges, she wonder if maybe the thieves took advantage of the distraction.

Jamie Wells is a mom and a teacher at a neighboring school district. She says that at her school they lock their classrooms anytime they leave.

"As a teacher myself, it's just devastating because you trust your school," said Wells. "[You trust] that no one is going to come in and do that to you."

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