Police here believe the same person is responsible for three purse snatchings reported between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday evening -- two on Boston Road and the third on Breckwood Boulevard.
SPRINGFIELD -- Police here believe the same man is responsible for three purse snatchings reported between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday evening -- two on Boston Road and the third on Breckwood Boulevard.
Sgt. John Delaney, aide the Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said the first incident took place in the parking lot of the Hot Table at 455 Breckwood Blvd. at 7:05 p.m.
The 22-year old female victim was walking through the parking lot when a white male about 6 feet to 6 feet, 3 inches tall, wearing baggy, black clothing, and described as having a neck tattoo allegedly took her purse and fled down Breckwood, Delaney said.
The second incident occurred 15 minutes later in the parking lot of Petco at
1694 Boston Road, where a man matching the description of the alleged purse snatcher in the Breckwood incident tried grabbing a woman's purse.
"Witnesses observed the criminal get into a dark colored late model Toyota or Mazda," Delaney said.
The third incident too place at 7:50 p.m. near the intersection of Boston Road and Glenwood Street. The female victim was at a bus stop when a man matching the previous descriptions struck her in the face and ripped her purse from her shoulder, Delaney said.
The woman was sitting with her young daughter at the time. The man then fled into the parking lot where witnesses observed him getting into an older model red vehicle with a loud muffler, Delaney said .
Delaney advised that "females carrying purses should be reminded to be aware of their surroundings in the Boston Road area and to keep their pocketbooks and purses in the trunk of their cars when shopping."
View Scenes of Thursday's purse snatchings in a larger map