Alleged Purse Snatcher Left His Shoes at Walmart

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Gwinnett Police arrested a man who snatched a woman’s purse at a local Walmart and ran out of his shoes during his attempted getaway.

Police say John Samuel Simmonds, 25, is accused of snatching the woman’s purse while she was placing her groceries on the checkout line conveyor belt at the Walmart located at 4975 Jimmy Carter Boulevard near Norcross. The alleged theft happened around 7 p.m. on June 11.

“The victim yelled that someone had stolen her purse, and two men began chasing him,” Gwinnett Police Cpl. Michele Pihera said in an email. “While the suspect was running out of the store, both his shoes came off.”

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Pihera said Simmonds got into a black BMW and sped away, almost striking two people in the parking lot. One of the witnesses noted the vehicle’s license plate number and gave it to police.

Officers from the West Precinct began looking for the vehicle, which seen near the In-Town Suites on Willow Trail Parkway near Indian Trail-Lilburn Road. Simmonds was pulled over and hand-cuffed.

Witnesses positively identified Simmonds as the suspect. He told police he threw the purse out of the window on Wuthering Way, where it was found by a person who called police. Most of the woman’s personal items were still inside.

Simmonds, a Statham, Ga., resident according to jail records, was charged with robbery by sudden snatching, and also faces probation violation charges. He is being held in the county jail without bond.

His shoes were taken from the store and placed into evidence.

Photo: John Samuel Simmonds. Gwinnett County Jail mug shot