Man Punched Woman, Dragged Her During Purse Snatching: Police

JACKSON, NJ — A Jackson Township man has been charged in a purse snatching where police say he hit the woman repeatedly in the face and then dragged her through a parking lot as he fled, police said.

Nicholas Bonaccorso, 30, of Kim Court in Jackson was arrested Sunday evening, Jackson Capt. Steven Laskiewicz said, after Jackson police received a tip that he was at the Hilton Gardens Hotel in Lakewood.

Laskiewicz said police had searched for Bonaccorso since early Saturday morning, when they were called to the Sunoco gas station on North County Line Road in Jackson for a report of a woman who had been hit by a car.

Jackson Police Officers Ernest Thomason, Keith French and Michael Goelz responded and the distraught woman told them she had been buying lottery tickets from a machine inside the store when a man came into the store and grabbed a small wristlet purse from her, Laskiewicz said.

A struggle ensued as the woman fought to keep the man from taking her purse, and she grabbed onto him, knocking both of them to the floor, Laskiewicz said. The man — now identified as Bonaccorso — repeatedly hit the woman in the head, the face and upper body as he held onto the purse and attempted to leave the store, he said. The mam was then able to break free as the woman pulled off a hooded sweatshirt and hat he had been wearing, Laskiewicz said; those items were left in the store as the man fled with the purse.

The woman followed the man outside and when he got into the driver’s seat of his car to leave, she got in on the passenger side to try to retrieve her purse and stop him from leaving, Laskiewicz said. The man then backed in the car and repeatedly punched her in the face as he tried to push her out of the car. He then accelerated forward and dragged the woman a short distance through the parking lot before she fell out of the car, Laskiewicz said. Bonaccorso then fled, he said.

The purse and items inside were valued in excess of $200, Laskiewicz said. The woman was treated at the scene by first aiders, he said.

The Jackson police officers were able to get a partial license plate for the vehicle from a witness and they also viewed the security footage of the incident from inside the store, at which time they were able to identify the man as Bonaccorso from previous encounters with him, Laskiewicz said.

Police also were able to track down information for a vehicle that fit the suspect vehicle description that was registered to a family member of Bonaccorso, he said.

Bonaccorso was charged with robbery, assault by auto, simple assault and theft, and after searching several locations found Bonaccorso at the Hilton Gardens Hotel thanks to a tip, Laskiewicz said, adding that as they searched for him, the officers also received information that the suspect had been contacting other people claiming he had robbed someone and needed their help.

Bonaccorso was taken into custody without incident, as was a Toms River woman who was with him, Laskiewicz said. Jennifer Tayse, 33, of Toms River was processed on an outstanding warrant out of Jackson and then released pending a court appearance.

Bonaccorso was being held in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, as of Monday afternoon, according to jail records.

Watch Now: Man Punched Woman, Dragged Her During Purse Snatching

Nicholas Bonaccorso, photo via Ocean County Corrections Department website