Purse-Snatcher Suspect Arrested

NEWPORT, RI—Police have arrested a suspect in a series of purse snatchings that happened in the Downtown between Oct. 18 and Nov. 22.

Derek Mark Anderson, 20, of Newport, faces three felony counts for the offenses, police said. He was apprehended near his home Tuesday night after a victim called police.

According to the police report, the woman and her boyfriend had just left a restaurant and were walking back to their car parked on Mill Street. That's when a man came running up behind them and grabbed the purse out of the woman's hand. Then he ran through a parking lot behind the restaurant to Pelham Street, where he took a left and kept running.

Her boyfriend chased him as far as Pelham Street where he lost him.

They described him as "tall, skinny and fast" and wearing dark clothing. The boyfriend was able to tell police the suspect wore a gray sweatshirt, khaki pants and a black knit hat.

When the officer put out the description, another officer stopped the suspect walking on Memorial Boulevard near Chapel Street.

The victim and her boyfriend made separate identifications and said the suspect was the man who robbed her.

Police said Anderson is being charged with an Oct. 18 purse snatching at 9:18 p.m. near the corner of Prospect Hill and Thames streets. He's also being charged with a robbery on Oct. 29 at 11 p.m. at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Church; and with the Nov. 22 robbery at 8:32 p.m. near Thames and Mill streets.