Brooklyn Park Woman Accused of Stealing Purses From Cars

A Brooklyn Park woman faces felony fraud charges, filed by investigators who say she stole two women’s purses out of their cars and charged almost $3,000 on their credit cards.

Police say Stephanie Lashay Boyland, 52, used or attempted to use the credit cards at three Hennepin County Target stores and a gas station.

On May 25, an unidentified adult woman left her purse in her car while at a dog park on Nevada Avenue in St. Louis Park. When she returned, her purse was gone. She reported over $1,500 of fraudulent charges at two Minneapolis Target stores to her credit companies.

Six days later, another adult woman reported to police that her purse had been stolen from her friend’s car while visiting Westwood Nature Center in St. Louis Park. The car’s window had also been broken. The woman learned her card was used at Target on Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka. A Target employee found the missing purse.

Police were able to identify Boyland’s license plate on video surveillance and then compared her driver's license photo with videos from the Target stores.

Hennepin County prosecutors are charging her with three counts of felony-level financial transaction card fraud. Boyland faces up to five years in jail and $10,000 in fines for each count.