By JON BAKER

LINCOLN  ---  A situation that began innocently enough concluded with the arrest of two Providence women at Twin River for theft of an elderly woman's pocketbook early Wednesday morning.

Luz Rivera, 52, of Union Avenue, and Casta Sanchez, 41, of River Avenue, were charged with larceny over $500 and conspiracy to commit larceny, both felonies, and held overnight at police headquarters. They later were arraigned in District Court in Providence, and released on $10,000 personal recognizance, stated Deputy Chief Brian Sullivan.
According to Sullivan, Rivera and Sanchez were playing the slot machines in a gaming room just after midnight when the victim left her particular terminal without taking her pocketbook.
"When a gentleman noticed it, he asked the two suspects if that item belonged to one of them, and Rivera allegedly grabbed it and said, 'Yes, it's mine,'" he said. "A short time later, Rivera got up from her seat, apparently to go to the rest room. The woman who
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owned the purse came back and was looking for it, and the man told her, 'I gave the pocketbook to that woman,' and Rivera was still playing one of the machines.
"At that point, security was called, and it contacted Lincoln police," he added.
Det. Kenneth Smith and Officer Steven Tellier responded within minutes and began investigating.
"They spoke with Sanchez, then went to the parking lot; that's when they located Rivera inside a vehicle with both the victim's pocketbook and wallet," Sullivan stated. "They both were immediately placed under arrest and charged.
"The crazy thing was this: All they had to do was say it wasn't their pocketbook, but they continued to play the slots," Sullivan stated, adding they may have got away with the crime if they had left the building quickly.
Sullivan said the duo must report to court to answer those charges later this month.