(KRON) — In a matter of seconds, thousands of dollars in college tuition money was gone.
A Virginia woman forgot her purse at a Dunkin Donuts, and before she could get back, a thief took off with it.
The Esteves family had stopped to grab a bite to eat before driving their 18-year-old daughter back to college in Pennsylvania.
The family drove off, and almost immediately, Maria Esteves realized she had left her purse behind.
And in it was her daughter’s tuition.
In this surveillance tape, you can see the woman who police said stole it. You can see her looking around and slipping the purse inside her own.
A few minutes later, Esteves returned and was heartbroken to find her purse gone.
Estevez said she knows getting her money back is a long shot but she is still holding out hope.