Van crash yields fake designer purses

coachwife6 · Aug 30th, 2006, 07:04 AM

Van crash yields fake designer purses

By ROGER CROTEAU
San Antonio Express-News
August 29, 2006

It was a crime of fashion, and a lot more serious than wearing white after Labor Day.

Seguin police were suspicious when the driver of a cargo van that crashed Monday on Interstate 10 started acting nervous when they asked about all those boxes with Chinese writing.

Expecting to find drugs, since I-10 is a popular route for narcotics smugglers between San Antonio and Houston, fashion-conscious Seguin police instead found bogus designer purses, wallets, belts and other swanky accessories valued at $400,000.

Detective Sgt. Maureen Watson said some might be taken in by the Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Coach, Christian Dior, Burberry and other merchandise, but it didn't hold up to close scrutiny from Seguin's fashion police.

"I love purses, and I hang out in that part of the department stores all the time," Watson said Tuesday.

"If you examine the purses, the stitching, the materials, are not good quality. They smelled like vinyl, not leather, and when you buy an expensive purse, it's usually in a cloth bag. These were in paper bags."

The 21 large boxes contained 782 purses, more than 200 wallets and other items.

The driver, a 40-year-old woman from San Antonio who was traveling with her 15-year-old daughter, told police she was headed to Houston, when another vehicle cut off the van. She overcorrected and the van rolled. The driver and her daughter both sustained minor injuries.

Watson did not identify the two occupants of the van. They were released pending further investigation.

naughtymanolo · Aug 30th, 2006, 07:10 AM

wow, in a sense fakes are almost as bad as drugs only they dont have negative health side effects (or other connected problems) to the buyer

coachwife6 · Aug 30th, 2006, 07:56 AM

MySA.com: News On Demand

here is a link the TV station video of the arrest. I don't know how long the link will work.

And here are pictures of the purses. It's a far away shot, though.

MySA.com: Metro | State

fr2nc1z · Aug 30th, 2006, 08:37 AM

huh, well I'm glad there are less fakes out there because of this bust!
I wish there were no fakes at all though

jillybean307 · Aug 30th, 2006, 08:59 AM

I think it's cute that the detective knows so much about designer bags. LOL, we should send her an invitation to join tPF!

coachwife6 · Aug 30th, 2006, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillybean307

I think it's cute that the detective knows so much about designer bags. LOL, we should send her an invitation to join tPF!

I liked that part also.

kathyrose · Aug 30th, 2006, 11:10 AM

^^ Ditto. I never "smelled" my bags but this made me think of smelling it and maybe I can actually say hey this is what leather smells. LOL.

Vlad · Aug 30th, 2006, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillybean307

I think it's cute that the detective knows so much about designer bags. LOL, we should send her an invitation to join tPF!

No kidding.

bag.lover · Aug 30th, 2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillybean307

I think it's cute that the detective knows so much about designer bags. LOL, we should send her an invitation to join tPF!

Hahaaahaa.. So funny.
Coachwife, thank you for sharing. =)

jane · Aug 30th, 2006, 01:10 PM

Quote:

police instead found bogus designer purses, wallets, belts and other swanky accessories valued at $400,000.

Yeah, maybe if they were real. But since it was only about 1,000 fakes, I think we could knock that estimate down by a lot.

piperlu · Aug 30th, 2006, 03:52 PM

I hate fakes also. I'm glad these are off the market for now.

seahorseinstripes · Aug 30th, 2006, 04:04 PM

maybe the police's wife are fellow PFers

Pursegrrl · Aug 30th, 2006, 07:08 PM

OMG! Glad those fakes are out of circulation. I got invited to a 'purse party' but whew, thank goodness I already have other plans.

Aug 30th, 2006, 07:04 AM	#1
coachwife6 Member Joined: Mar 2006 Location: In the gym Posts: 4,322	Van crash yields fake designer purses Van crash yields fake designer purses By ROGER CROTEAU San Antonio Express-News August 29, 2006 It was a crime of fashion, and a lot more serious than wearing white after Labor Day. Seguin police were suspicious when the driver of a cargo van that crashed Monday on Interstate 10 started acting nervous when they asked about all those boxes with Chinese writing. Expecting to find drugs, since I-10 is a popular route for narcotics smugglers between San Antonio and Houston, fashion-conscious Seguin police instead found bogus designer purses, wallets, belts and other swanky accessories valued at $400,000. Detective Sgt. Maureen Watson said some might be taken in by the Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Coach, Christian Dior, Burberry and other merchandise, but it didn't hold up to close scrutiny from Seguin's fashion police. "I love purses, and I hang out in that part of the department stores all the time," Watson said Tuesday. "If you examine the purses, the stitching, the materials, are not good quality. They smelled like vinyl, not leather, and when you buy an expensive purse, it's usually in a cloth bag. These were in paper bags." The 21 large boxes contained 782 purses, more than 200 wallets and other items. The driver, a 40-year-old woman from San Antonio who was traveling with her 15-year-old daughter, told police she was headed to Houston, when another vehicle cut off the van. She overcorrected and the van rolled. The driver and her daughter both sustained minor injuries. Watson did not identify the two occupants of the van. They were released pending further investigation.
	__________________ "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12

Aug 30th, 2006, 07:10 AM	#2
naughtymanolo FYI I am a guy Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,797	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses wow, in a sense fakes are almost as bad as drugs only they dont have negative health side effects (or other connected problems) to the buyer
	__________________ ...I guess behind the orange curtain its not so bad...

Aug 30th, 2006, 07:56 AM	#3
coachwife6 Member Joined: Mar 2006 Location: In the gym Posts: 4,322	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses MySA.com: News On Demand here is a link the TV station video of the arrest. I don't know how long the link will work. And here are pictures of the purses. It's a far away shot, though. MySA.com: Metro \| State
	__________________ "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12

Aug 30th, 2006, 08:37 AM	#4
fr2nc1z Member Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,606	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses huh, well I'm glad there are less fakes out there because of this bust! I wish there were no fakes at all though
fr2nc1z Member Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,606	__________________

Aug 30th, 2006, 08:59 AM	#5
jillybean307 Wanderlust Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 3,543	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses I think it's cute that the detective knows so much about designer bags. LOL, we should send her an invitation to join tPF!
	__________________ You say "handbag addiction" like it's a bad thing. "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." -Albert Einstein http://www.savedarfur.org

Aug 30th, 2006, 11:10 AM	#7
kathyrose The Bargain Hunter Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 13,864	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses ^^ Ditto. I never "smelled" my bags but this made me think of smelling it and maybe I can actually say hey this is what leather smells. LOL.
	__________________ "I'll have to walk a thousand miles just to find the ground deserving of your feet." ~ Saves The Day Kathy's Bag Collection

Aug 30th, 2006, 03:52 PM	#11
piperlu Member Joined: Jun 2006 Location: At the beach Posts: 8,997	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses I hate fakes also. I'm glad these are off the market for now.
	__________________ Debbie

Aug 30th, 2006, 04:04 PM	#12
seahorseinstripes bag greed bug Joined: Jun 2006 Location: summer land Posts: 12,217	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses maybe the police's wife are fellow PFers
	__________________ WISH LIST Louis Vuitton Brown Watercolor Speedy 35 . Hermès Kelly DREAMING OF YSL Muse Two Croc . YSL Muse Croc . Chanel Biarritz Croc http://bagcraze.blogspot.com/ http://charcoalholic.blogspot.com/

Aug 30th, 2006, 07:08 PM	#13
Pursegrrl Pay attention! Pls!! Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 16,343	Re: Van crash yields fake designer purses OMG! Glad those fakes are out of circulation. I got invited to a 'purse party' but whew, thank goodness I already have other plans.