Troy Man Takes Woman's Purse In Kroger, Leads Police Chase: Cops

ROYAL OAK, MI — A Troy man was arrested after police said he took a woman’s purse from her shopping cart inside a Royal Oak Kroger on March 19, police said.

Lloyd James Austin, 62, was charged with one count of third-degree fleeing and eluding, a felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, and one count of larceny in a building, a felony which carries a penalty of four years in prison.

Austin was arraigned on Tuesday in the 44th District Court and given a $100,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 1 at 9:30 a.m.

The woman was shopping inside the Kroger store at 2200 E. 12 Mile Road around 5 p.m., when she walked away from her shopping cart to grab an item. When she returned to her cart, another customer told her a man took her purse and ran, police said.

The woman then called her sister, who was sitting in a car in the store's parking, and told her about the man who took her purse, police said.

The sister then saw a man speeding away from the store's parking lot and followed the car. She gave police a description of the car and its license plate number, police said.

Officers then found the car and chased Austin until he stopped after losing control of his car at 13 Mile and Crooks roads, police said.

Austin admitted to taking the woman's purse inside the grocery store, police said. Officers also said they found a crack pipe inside Austin's car.

Austin also has a criminal history that includes a felony possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal sexual conduct, domestic violence, breaking and entering and second-degree home invasion, and larceny.