Two Chinese Visitors Bilked of Thousands in Cash and Valuables

Two Chinese nationals who stayed at the hotel complex  were bilked out of thousands of dollars and electronics in two separate thefts Saturday.

The two women - one, a tourist, and the other, who was with a business trade group - noticed the thefts about five hours' apart: one as she was checking out and the other as she returned to her room, Woodbridge police said. Neither women spoke speak English and communicated to police through translators attached to their groups.

No suspects were arrested in either incident.

"I don't know if they wait until [tourists] come, thinking they're easy marks," said Captain Roy Hoppock. "They take advantage of them."

The tourist was leaving the hotel around 8 am on March 31 with her tour group to move to the next destination on their agenda. Her bags were piled into the back of a Toyota minivan, and she placed her handbag, containing her valuables, on top of her luggage.

The woman turned away from the van, which was parked on the Route 1 side of the hotel. When she returned to the van, police said, her purse was missing.

About $14,000 in cash and Chinese yen were stolen, along credit cards, her passport, and her Chinese photo ID. Also missing were a cell phone and camera, both worth approximately $1,200.

The second theft was noticed the same day about 2:30 pm. The businesswoman had returned to her hotel room and noticed that two iPads, worth approximately $546.00 each, were gone.

Her room had been changed, the woman said in the police report, and her electronic key had been reprogrammed as well. She thought that somewhere in the room move the iPads had been taken.

Police said the hotel management was aware of the missing items and was performing their own investigation.