Witness snags suspect Arlington purse snatching

Published 10:20 pm Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ARLINGTON — An Arlington man grabbed a woman’s purse Tuesday night and was chased down by another man who witnessed the robbery.

Police believe the incident stemmed from the need for a nicotine fix.

“The whole entire reason for stealing the purse: He was out of cigarette money,” Arlington police spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said.

Just before 6 p.m., officers rushed to the 700 block of N. Broadway, according to an affidavit filed in Everett District Court.

A woman, 62, was walking home from the grocery store when a man grabbed her handbag, the document said.

The woman screamed. A struggle followed. There was a brief tug-of-war.

The man, 35, broke the purse free and ran off, the document said.

Another man saw the whole thing and took chase in his pickup, Banfield said.

The witness followed the purse-snatcher down an alley until the suspect slipped on some wet grass and fell, the document said.

The suspect told police the man in the pickup ran him down, Banfield said. Police didn’t buy the story.

Many saw the chase, the court document said.

The man in the truck told the suspect to stay put.

“Police are on their way,” the man said, according to Banfield.

The woman got her purse back, including $180 cash and debit cards, police said.

“He didn’t have enough time to do anything with it,” Banfield said.

The suspect was checked out at the hospital and then booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of second-degree robbery.

After his arrest, the man allegedly told police he was walking along, wanted cigarettes, was out of money and grabbed the woman’s purse, the court document said.

Later, as police cataloged the man’s belongings at the jail, they found an empty cigarette pack.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com