Women Foil Purse Snatchers

Thu., Jan. 29, 1998

By Pat Sciuchetti pats@spokesman.com

Two women refused to give up their handbags Friday, rebuffing separate purse snatching attempts in the parking lot of a Valley supermarket.

Sheriff’s officials don’t know if the attempted robberies are linked.

The first targeted victim didn’t report the incident to police and didn’t leave a description of the suspect with the store manager.

According to the second victim, a white man in his late teens or early 20s came up behind her and grabbed the shoulder strap of her purse. It was about 5 p.m and she was just about to enter the Rosauers store at 10920 E. Sprague.

The 56-year-old woman refused to let go of her purse and told the man, “You’re not going to steal it,” according to the police report.

A brief tug of war followed. The would-be thief let go and got into a gray two-door Oldsmobile Cutlass, driven by another white man.

The victim didn’t get a good look at the driver, but described the would-be purse snatcher as clean-cut, 5-foot-8, 160 pounds with curly brown hair.

, DataTimes

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