Barcelona's Dirty Little Secret

Jerry Wall in a much happier mood after going through a terrible ordeal in Barcelona, Spain.

It is Barcelona's dirty little secret. One the people of the city are not proud of, but still very much part of the tenor of Barcelona. Pickpockets are rampant here, only Rome is said to be worse. Chapelwood Chancel Choir member Jerry Wall found out the hard way having her purse snatched as she boarded the choir bus last night. "It was after the concert, as I was stepping on to the bus I got complacent looking around at how beautiful things were when it happened." In a flash two men believed to be in there twenties snatched the purse from her arm then sprinted across a busy street disappearing in the maze of back alleys that adorn the "old city."

Gillian Snedden witnessed the entire episode leaping from her seat at the top of the stairway and gave chase. She along with Peter Johns and Joseph Jaber all tried to keep up with the young men, but they knew the streets much better and could run faster. A bystander also saw the episode unfold and she called Police from her cellphone. After an exhausting search which was fruitless, it was decided Joseph would remain with Jerry to wait for Police instructions while the rest of the group went back to the hotel. While it was late, past 10:30 p.m., the night was still very young for Jerry and Joseph.

"The woman was great," Jerry recalled. "She called the police station three times. Finally we were told to walk to the station and to make our report. It was sad when we first got there, there were three other women waiting there who also had their purses snatched. One was a young girl who was supposed to go back to Amsterdam in the morning, and her passport was in her purse. We then were directed to go to another police station and then on to another. Finally I spoke to a man who took my name and he gave me a broad smile."

The purse had been found! An off duty Police officer had recognized the two and was able to stop the one who was holding Jerry's purse. The Policeman agreed he would not arrest the offender, so long as he would turn over the purse. Jerry described what happened next like it was a scene out of a Hollywood movie. "The plain clothed Policeman started asking me questions. What was my father's name and then my mother. He then asked me what was in the purse, which was a couple of hundred Euros and Dollars as well as a VISA card and my camera. I couldn't believe it. When he gave the purse back to me, everything was there! Nothing had been stolen."

Both Jerry and Joseph returned to the Hotel well past midnight receiving warm cheers and greetings from other choir members. But now everyone is taking more precautions, making certain any purses are worn across the shoulders and out in front so there won't be a repeat episode.