Kirkland Woman, 71, Chases Purse Snatcher; Police Make Arrest

KIRKLAND, WA - A team effort between a victim, a bystander, and police led to the capture of a suspected purse snatcher in Kirkland on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, a 71-year-old woman was leaving the Fred Meyer along 120th Avenue Northeast when the suspect - described by police as a transient person - grabbed the woman's purse out of her shopping basket and took off running. The spry victim took off after him until she was able to flag down a bystander and call 911.

A police car happened to be in the area, and was at Fred Meyer in seconds, Cpl. Cody Mann told Patch.com. The theft occurred right around shift change, and so a large number of officers were able to respond and lock down the area.

Police tracked the suspect to an area of the Cross-Kirkland Corridor near the Public Storage facility along Northeast 116th Street. Officer Audra Weber detained the suspect, and police brought the victim to the scene to make a positive ID.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of theft, and the victim got her purse back.

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