Walnut Creek Police Seek Purse Snatchers in This SUV

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Police suspect the same group of young men committed two recent purse snatchings about a block apart from each other last week, including one that was foiled when an elderly woman fought them off.

The first theft happened on July 20 when two men grabbed the purse of an elderly woman as she was walking east on Cypress Street near Commercial Lane at about 2:44 p.m., police said. Two suspects, both men in their 20s, tried to grab the purse out of her hand. She refused to let go and they pulled her to the ground, dragging her along the sidewalk. Other people nearby came to her aid and the suspects let go of the purse and fled to a dark gray Jeep Patriot, where two other men in their 20s were waiting for them. They took off west on Mt. Diablo Boulevard.

Two days later on Friday, a man who matched the description of one of the would-be purse-snatchers went to the patio of a restaurant in the 1500 block of Mt. Diablo Boulevard at 12:42 p.m. and grabbed two purses from the ground near two women, police said. He ran from the patio and hopped into the same Jeep where the other suspects were waiting. They jumped the median on Mt. Diablo Boulevard and fled west, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the two crimes or has information about the suspects has been asked to call Detective Bill Jeha at (925) 943-3518.

— Bay City News; Image via Walnut Creek Police