A Hispanic woman has been stealing money and credit card from purses in the middle of church services while owners are either praying or are receiving communion

The thief has struck in churches all over the Houston area and police believe it is local woman Cynthia Gonzalez, 43, also known as Cynthia Martinez. Authorities have released CCTV footage from one of the churches showing the woman in action. She sits down at a pew beside an unsuspecting parishioner, even shaking hands with her and looking her in the eye during the sign of peace. When the woman leaves her seat for communion, she slides her bag under the seat out of - what she believes to be - harms way. It is then that the thief attacks, pretending to kneel down and pray but instead reaching inside the bag and stealing money and cards from the purse. Deputies believe that Martinez - who has previous convictions for theft, forgery and credit card abuse stemming back to 1991 - is the woman in the video and are appealing for help. She was charged with taking a wallet from a woman's purse at a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo event earlier in 2011. She was also charged with credit/debit card abuse stemming from a similar theft in mid-April 2011 at another church in northwest Houston. According to the criminal complaint in that case, a parishioner at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church discovered that her wallet was missing after she also went to take communion. Upon her return home, the woman discovered that her American Express card had already been used to buy a laptop computer at a local Radio Shack, according to the criminal complaint. The Radio Shack clerk identified Martinez as the person who bought the laptop. She was taken into custody and later released on $10,000 bail.