Prolific Purse Snatcher Nabbed After Ramming Cop Car: Prosecutor

CRESTWOOD, IL -- The year-long crime spree of a South Holland man believed responsible for over 200 purse snatchings in the south suburbs came to an end Monday after he was taken into custody following a brief foot chase in Crestwood. Police said Kevin Lamb, 50, terrorized women at local gas stations across the region, stealing their purses from their cars as they pumped gas.

Lamb appeared before Cook County Judge John Gallagher on charges of aggravated fleeing and eluding police, attempted theft and criminal damage to government property and three counts of burglary to a motor vehicle. More charges from other municipalities may be forthcoming.

After a report earlier that day of a theft from car at 127th Street and Pulaski Road in Alsip, Crestwood police placed the Delta Sonic Car Wash at 137th Street and Crestwood under surveillance. Crestwood officers noticed a vehicle similar to the one being sought pull into the car wash. A man, later identified as Lamb, got out of his vehicle and tried to open the a car door while the female driver was pumping gas.

The prosecutor said Lamb got into his own vehicle and tried to flee the scene. Crestwood police officers attempted to box in Lamb’s car, who they said backed up into a patrol car causing more than $2,000 worth of damage. Lamb then rammed the police car in front of hin, before backing up again and hitting the police car behind him a second time.

According to police, Lamb got out of the car and took off running across Cicero Avenue, with Crestwood police in pursuit. He was apprehended a short time later. Det. Sgt. Chris Soderlund, of the Crestwood Police Department, said that Lamb had terrorized women by stealing their purses at gas stations for the past year.

“When you look at the [gas station’s surveillance] video, it took him less than five seconds to snatch a purse,” Soderlund said. “The sad part is there may be women who had their purses stolen, but didn’t realize it until they had gotten home.”

Witnesses described seeing purported purse snatcher leaving in different cars. Police learned that the vehicle Lamb was driving on Monday was a rental. Soderlund said law enforcement agencies around the suburbs had been after Lamb for the past year.

On Jan. 2, 2017, Alsip police officers were responding to a reported car burglary at a gas station when they saw Lamb fleeing in his car, the prosecutor said. Lamb led Alsip PD on a high speed chase where he allegedly blew three red lights and at least five stop signs. Alsip police officers voluntarily ended the chase. Court records from the same day also indicated that Lamb was charged with misdemeanor retail theft

Lamb also has car burglaries attributed to him from June 5, 2016, where a woman at a Cicero Avenue gas station in Crestwood heard her passenger door open and saw a man running off with her purse. Crestwood police said the woman was able to identify Lamb in a photo array.

Lamb was also identified in a possible purse snatching that happened April 5. A woman pumping gas at the a Crestwood Speedway station heard her driver’s side car door open. She didn’t notice her purse missing until after she returned to her car. A witness who saw what transpired also picked out Lamb from a photo array, as did Alsip police in January’s high speed chase.

The prosecutor told the judge that Lamb has 13 prior felony convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated battery and criminal damage. Judge Gallagher called Lamb a “danger to the community” and set bail at $100,000 for each of the five felony charges. His next court day is June 1 in Bridgeview. The assistant public defender asked that Lamb receive drug treatment in jail.

“In the last year, a suspect has been terrorizing females at the local gas stations in several south suburbs by stealing purses and other valuables from vehicles as the driver was pumping gas,” Soderlund said. “In Crestwood, we estimate that we have had over 25 incidents that is believed to be the same offender.”