Three Arrested for San Mateo Purse Snatching After Parking Lot Robbery

By Bay City News Service:

Three Redwood City residents were arrested after allegedly stealing a purse from a 58-year-old woman in the parking lot of the Bridgepointe Shopping Center in San Mateo on Sunday evening, police said.

The alleged robber, later identified as 21-year-old Jose Gomez, reportedly knocked the victim to the ground around 7:30 p.m. Sunday during the struggle for her purse before fleeing the scene in a black Mercedes-Benz that was waiting nearby, police said.

Witnesses calling 911 provided the license plate number to police, who later found the vehicle in an alleyway near Rolison Road. Police said it was still occupied by three suspects.

The robbery victim identified Gomez as the man who stole her purse and during a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers said they found some of her purse’s contents.

Gomez, Edgar Garcia, 24, and Vincente Chavez, 18, were all taken into custody on suspicion of robbery, gang activity and conspiring to commit a crime.

Gomez, the man who allegedly took the purse, was also booked for violating the terms of his parole.

The San Mateo Police Department credits the witnesses for their role in recovering the victim’s stolen property by reporting the license plate number of the getaway vehicle.