Modesto drive-by purse snatcher strikes again
Police believe a drive-by purse snatcher struck again Saturday afternoon, knocking down an elderly woman as she stood outside a 99 Cents Only store in north Modesto.
Modesto police Sgt. Dan Shrader said the woman was dragged a short distance as the robber clutched the purse from her grasp. She suffered minor injuries during the strong-arm robbery.
This was the fourth time the purse snatcher has accosted a victim in four days, apparently targeting older women. Police say the robber drives up in a vehicle, surprising the unsuspecting victims.
Shrader said Saturday’s purse snatching resulted in the same suspect description as the three other robberies: a white man about 25 to 30 years old and weighing about 175 pounds driving what appeared to be a white four-door car.
The fourth robbery occurred about 3:40 p.m. as the woman stood near her vehicle’s trunk in the 99 Cents Only store parking lot in the 2200 block of McHenry Avenue, between Floyd and Bowen avenues. Shrader said the woman was alone when she robbed.
The suspected serial purse snatcher has struck in store parking lots in the north and east areas of Modesto, but that doesn’t mean he won’t look for victims in other parts of the city, Shrader said.
He asked shoppers to be cautious and aware of their surroundings, and to call police if they spot someone driving through a parking lot repeatedly without stopping and going inside a store.
Police ask anyone with information about these robberies to call Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Tipsters can email through the Crime Stoppers website, www.stancrimetips.org, or text tips to 274637 by typing “Tip704” plus a message. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
Modesto purse-snatchings
▪ 9:45 p.m. Wednesday – A woman’s purse was snatched as she was getting into her vehicle at the Old Oakdale Road Shopping Center in the 900 block of Oakdale Road, just north of Scenic Drive. The victim suffered a visible shoulder injury.
▪ 5:45 p.m. Friday – A woman was loading groceries into her vehicle’s trunk at the Raley’s supermarket at Floyd and Roselle avenues, when she was pulled to the ground. Her purse strap was over her shoulder, and she was looking in another direction when a man grabbed the purse.
▪ 11:30 a.m. Saturday – A woman was walking in the CVS Pharmacy parking lot in The Lakes shopping center at Oakdale Road and Floyd Avenue, when her purse was pulled away while the strap still was over her shoulder.
▪ 3:40 p.m. Saturday – A woman was knocked to the ground as she stood outside a 99 Cents Only store in the 2200 block of McHenry Avenue in Modesto. She was dragged a little as the robber clutched the purse from her grasp. She suffered minor injuries.
This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Modesto drive-by purse snatcher strikes again."