Suspected Grocery Store Would-Be Purse-Snatcher Arrested In Banning

BANNING, CA — An attempted purse snatching in Banning led officers to identify a Northern California suspect.

Derek Forest Bolin, 36, was booked Thursday on suspicion of attempted robbery, according to the Banning Police Department. He was being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. He was slated to appear in court on March 17 at an undisclosed location and bail information was not immediately available.

Officers responded to a report of an attempted robbery shortly before 5:30 p.m. Monday at an Albertsons supermarket at 300 S. Highland Springs Ave.

The agency said a suspect tried to forcibly take a purse from an elderly woman exiting the store and she was almost dragged to the ground until nearby bystanders stepped in to help her. The suspect fled the area before officers arrived.

Through surveillance footage and support from other law enforcement agencies, the department's detectives identified Bolin as the suspect. They found the suspect's vehicle in Highland, in San Bernardino County, and conducted surveillance in the area.

Detectives found Bolin on Medrick Center Drive in San Bernardino, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Anyone with additional information on the attempted robbery was asked to contact the department at 951-922-3170.