article





BELLEVUE -- Bellevue police are asking for the public's help finding suspected purse thief Xia Liu. Detectives say she didn't just steal a purse, but also something much more valuable.



Sroy Lee McCarthy’s pain is evident in what’s missing on her left hand: Her wedding ring.



“It is like somebody ripped a piece of my heart out,” McCarthy said Friday.



Her ring, worth $20,000, has been missing for a week now.



Last Friday, she put it in her purse while working out at the gym, and then later went shopping at The Rack in Bellevue.









But when she set her purse down to try on some shoes, surveillance photos show an older, Asian woman, rifling through the purse and ultimately taking it with her out the door. Police believe the woman in the surveillance photos is named Xia Liu, from China.



“The suspect actually used her own credit card when she checked out at the store so we have a name and we have the credit card information,” said Seth Tyler with Bellevue police. “We believe she’s a Chinese national that is simply visiting the area, and we would like to get her identified before she leaves the country.”





Xia Liu





McCarthy’s ring was created for her more than a decade ago and she said it represents the challenges and triumphs of her marriage. As she and her husband get ready to celebrate their 10th anniversary, the two of them agree that her ring is something that can never really be replaced.



“To think of getting another one, I don’t want to think about it. I’d rather have nothing on my finger, so it would remind me of our love.”



If you know the woman identified as Xia Liu or have any information that could lead to an arrest, you could get a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.



