FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - Fredericksburg police say they were able to track down three cross-dressing credit card thieves who stole a woman's credit cards and then went on a shopping spree.

The victim, an employee of Home Gallery by Richmond, told police that three women entered the store at about 3:40 p.m. Monday. Two of them distracted her, leaving her office open. The third remained by the office.

After the purported customers left, she noticed her credit cards were missing from her purse. The woman called police and her credit card company, which informed her the card had just been used at Wal-Mart. When officers arrived, the victim directed them to Wal-Mart -- but the thieves had left. The credit card company then alerted the victim to an attempted purchase at a Wa-Wa, which was declined. The Wa-Wa clerk was able to give police a description of the thieves' car.

Police say the caught up with the thieves at an Exxon on Plank Rd, where they had purchased gasoline, cigarettes, and bottled water using the victim's Exxon Mobil credit card, according to police.

The victim was brought to the Exxon and positively identified the thieves, police said.

Police say the car was filled with items fraudulently purchased with the victim's card, including a television and gift cards from Wal-Mart.

Investigators determined that the suspects, though identified as women by the victim, were men dressed in women's clothing.

Police charged Anthony Austin, 27, Elliott "Chanel" Thorpe, 29, and Michael "Destinee" Allen, 22, all of Washington, D.C., with two counts of felony credit card larceny, attempted credit card fraud, two counts of felony credit card forgery, attempted credit card forgery, two counts of felony credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit credit card theft, and felony uttering.

All three are being held without bond.

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