Post by HeadMarshal on Feb 25, 2014 4:54:26 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: amw.com archives)
Fugitive Profile as of August 30th, 2014 (Based on 2007 AMW archive, please contact site if you have more recent information):
Sex: Female
Race: White
Age Now: 61-63
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Red/Blonde/Brown
Eyes (Color and Correction): Brown
Other Physical Characteristics:
-Has prominent nose
-Fair complexion
-Stocky build
-Frequently changes hair color
Scars and Tattoos: Knapek has a scar on her right cheek
Traits and Habits:
-Poses as a deaf mute
-Uses hand gestures to communicate
-Possibly Polish or Yugoslavian descent
-Speaks with heavy European accent
-May wear an apron with big pockets and often wears long skirts
-Has over 40 aliases
-Has long history of theft
-May commit thefts with the help of a 20-30 year old female with dark hair, possibly a relative
Last Seen: Staten Island, NY
Other Possible Locations: Illinois, New Jersey
Who to call if you've seen her: Because of multiple alleged crime locations , we would advise to call your local police and/or Crime Stoppers line.
Walentina Knapek has been wanted for 20 years on various theft charges out of several states in the eastern half of the US. She was last aired in 2009 and the earliest profile date I can place her is 1999 (although I wonder if she was aired earlier than that).
Knapek is a career criminal who has used at least 40 aliases, nine dates of birth, four social security numbers and has been pulling off the same scam for over 25 years. She's been wanted since 1994. Her scam consists of her purchasing something for $2 dollars then attempts to get change for a larger bill. She then grunts, gestures and doesn't speak coherently to confuse clerks, even taking money out of the register to explain what she wants. She then pockets cash, as much as several $100 dollar bills. Things get more complicated thanks to help from her family members, a child may tip over a display and an adult could block the view of surveillance cameras. The last known confirmed scam took place in Florida in 2005 when Knapek stole $1000 from a register at a chocolate and ice cream shop. In 2007, authorities in New Hampshire arrested a woman they believed to be Knapek pulling off a scam, however she was really Irena Nowak.
In 2011, authorities in Oklahoma say a hispanic woman in her 40's pulled off a similar scam in Del City. They reference Knapek's amw.com profile and believe the woman in Oklahoma may be an accomplice of Knapek.
Thoughts? Knapek's been pulling off this scam for so long that it's gotten ridiculous (especially if you consider how long she's been a fugitive). I'm not sure what to believe about this Oklahoma case. The scam is pretty similar however Knapek's amw.com profile mentioned her accomplice may have been a relative. My issue is that if that's true, then Knapek probably isn't related to this woman in Oklahoma since Knapek is European and the woman in Oklahoma was hispanic. I wouldn't be surprised if the woman in Oklahoma got the scam idea from looking up Knapek's amw.com profile, seeing her on the show or hearing about the scam somewhere else.
www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jan/30/americas-most-wanted-help-stuart-police-its-search/
www.ok.gov/osbi/Press_Room/2011_Press_Releases/PR-2011-08-25__CON_ARTIST_SCAMS_DEL_CITY_BUSINESS_OUT_OF_THOUSANDS.html
UPDATE from site admin: I could find no new updates in the past few years since HeadMarshal first posted about Knapek. As far as I can tell, she is still at large as of this update (7/23/2018), since I haven't found anything online suggesting otherwise. However, if anyone has any updates/proof-of-updates one way or the other, they are always more than welcome to let us know.
Admin Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
