Jackson Bell
Two more women reported their purses snatched over the weekend,
pushing the number of such robberies in the area to five in less than
a week, officials said.
The string of purse-snatchings began Jan. 8 and have all occurred
in the southeast corner of the city, according to Glendale police
reports. Investigators have no leads and are asking for the public's
help in finding the robbers, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
"All the descriptions we are receiving are not the same, so what
we are trying to do is determine if this is not an individual but
maybe a group involved," Lorenz said.
The latest reported heist occurred Saturday as a 65-year-old
Glendale woman pushed a shopping cart along the 500 block of South
Verdugo Road, police said. An unknown man came up behind her, grabbed
her purse and ran off, police said.
The woman held on to the straps, but the alleged robber
overpowered her, police said. The woman told officers that she chased
the man but was unable to catch him. She reported that her driver's
license and $300 in cash were inside the purse.
The woman described the man as about 25, between 5-foot-10 and
6-foot; muscular; short, dark-haired and wearing a black,
short-sleeve shirt and black pants.
At 10:20 p.m. Friday, a 58-year-old Glendale woman was getting off
the bus near Chevy Chase Drive and Lomita Avenue and began walking
home when an unknown man approached her from behind, yanked her purse
strap from her left shoulder, jumped into the passenger side of a
white Toyota sedan and fled with the purse, police said. The purse
contained identification information, a check card and about $80 in
cash.
She described the man as being in his early 20s, slim, about
5-foot-8, with short brown hair and wearing a green jacket.
Last week, two women reported their purses snatched in similar
manners near the Daylight Adult Day Health Care Center on Colorado
Street. A witness to one of the crimes saw the alleged robber get
into a midsized white sedan and drive away, police said.
Lorenz recommended that people carrying a purse pack only
bare-essential items; always strap the purse over their shoulder so
it can't be easily ripped from their hands; stay in a well-lighted,
heavily populated area; walk with at least one other person; and
always be aware of their surroundings.
Anyone with information on the alleged robberies is asked to call
the Glendale Police Department robbery/homicide detail at (818)
548-3987.
Anonymous tips can be made by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline
at (818) 507-7867.
* JACKSON BELL covers public safety and courts. He may be reached
at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at jackson.bell@latimes.com.
