Local police agencies are attempting to locate two women who allegedly stole a purse from a car in the Monroe County YMCA parking lot late Thursday afternoon and used a credit card from the purse to make purchases at three local businesses totaling nearly $2,000.

The stolen card was used at Walgreens and Dollar General in Waterloo and also the Walgreens store in Columbia, police said. Among items purchased at the stores were baby formula and gift cards.

Police said that sometime between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Thursday, a window was broken out of a vehicle parked at the YMCA, with a purse stolen from inside.

A possible suspect vehicle has been described as an early-to-mid-2000s white or light-colored Mitsubishi car. It is believed the purse was eventually found on Route 156 just east of Waterloo.

Suspect descriptions gathered from the stores were a white female in a maroon coat aged in her 40s with brown hair covered by a cap and another white female with dirty blond hair wearing a brownish or tan sweatshirt.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department and Waterloo Police Department are working together on leads and evidence collected in the case, which remains under investigation.

Police said the crime that occurred locally is very similar to one that took place recently at a YMCA parking lot in Missouri.

“We’re confident that we have suspects in common and are working with authorities in Missouri on this,” WPD Sgt. Eric Zaber said.

Anyone with information that may be helpful in this case is asked to call 939-8651.