Police: Man Robs, Then Drags Woman On Ground

A 50-year-old Paterson man allegedly stole a woman's purse in the Pathmark parking lot Tuesday morning and dragged her to the ground while attempting to get away, Kinnelon Police said.

The man, who attempted to disguise himself by wearing a stocking over his head, then fled from authorities before crashing his stolen vehicle in Wayne.

Glen W. Wood was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, assault by auto, theft, possession of stolen property and several drug charges.

Police said the incident occurred at 8:10 a.m., when the 52-year-old victim was loading groceries into her car while her purse was in the shopping cart. Another car pulled alongside her, the victim told police, and a male wearing a stocking on his head exited the vehicle and allegedly grabbed her purse.

The victim attempted to grab her purse, but was knocked to the ground and then dragged a short distance by the car the male was in as he attempted to get away, police said.

Police said he was the only person in the vehicle, a 1992 Mercury. The victim was able to provide police with a license plate number of the vehicle and a police broadcast was sent to surrounding towns.

Police said a Riverdale patrolman spotted the Mercury on Newark-Pompton Turnpike a short time later and determined the vehicle to have been reported stolen from Paterson a few days ago.

The car was stopped by Riverdale police, with the assistance of Pompton Lakes police and Kinnelon police, on Hamburg Turnpike in Pompton Lakes. As the officers exited their cars to approach the vehicle, the male suspect then sped off toward Wayne.

The vehicle crashed at the corner of Hamburg Turnpike and Route 202 in Wayne and the driver was taken into custody. A search of the vehicle uncovered the victim’s purse and all her property, the stocking used to allegedly cover Wood’s face during the robbery, as well as heroin and several hypodermic needles, police said.

In addition to the robbery charges, Wood was charged with possession of heroin, possession of hypodermic needles, being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended driver’s license.

Wood was sent to the Morris County jail on $100,000 bail. Police said the victim refused medical attention at the scene.