To Catch a Thief

Friday, July 06 2007 | Send to a friend

To Catch A Thief

Karen Lodrick, credit: Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle

It was the distinctive fuzzy-collared coat that gave her away. That... and the sparkly Gucci sunglasses.

For months, Karen Lodrick had been looking at the coat and glasses in an ATM photo while the woman wearing them was looting Karen's bank accounts. So when she actually saw the woman standing in a Starbucks line, she gave chase. For 45 minutes, she followed the culprit through the streets of San Francisco, all the while giving a play-by-play to a 911 operator on her cell phone.

Karen tells Dick about what happened when she got to court and what she learned from confronting her identity thief.   

• Read Karen's website
• Get your credit report

Music heard in this story: The Wrong Business and The Scam, both by Jerry Goldsmith for the album Matinee (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Jailhouse Blues by Dinah Washington 

Add to Story

MID-LIFE ANARCHY

Liz Seymour 

Five years ago, Liz Seymour gave up her marriage, her bedroom and her office and turned her family home into a community of anarchists.

At 50, her old life was no longer working for her. While her husband wanted quiet, Liz needed noise and activity. Her two grown daughters introduced her to a group of young anarchists in her city. She now shares her home with five of them. 

The group divides chores and responsibilities. They sometimes "dumpster-dive" for food. As a result, their expenses are close to nil and their time is filled with creative pursuits. Dick talks with Liz Seymour about her daily life - and the changes in her thinking.

Music for today's show comes from Cakalak Thunder, a group started by some of Liz's housemates. 

• Check out Cakalak Thunder
• Visit the arts collective started by Liz's household