Alleged Nova Grill Pickpocket Caught

It happened at least twice this year. Customers of Nova Grill, a popular Mediterranean eatery on Lancaster Avenue in Villanova, had their purses picked of credit cards as they were eating lunch.

One of the two men that police believe committed those crimes was arrested on Friday, Sept. 7 in Philadelphia. A warrant is out for the second suspect, Lt. Christopher Flanagan told Radnor Patch.

In May, . The theft was captured on security camera. A witness said he saw two men sitting in the table next to the victim.

Again,

"That's great," owner Costas Xinos said of the news that an arrest had been made. "I wanted these guys to get caught. That was my main concern."

Xinos said he does not know why his store was targeted, but said it may be the fact that it is a loud, casual environment with a lot of students and others coming and going and not paying attention to their purses. "I think that had a lot to do with it," he said. He said the crime was "well calculated."

But Xinos said he was not worried that the two cases would negatively affect his business. "I don’t think people would judge me or my store… It could happen anywhere."