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Nov 19, 2009 8:45 pm US/Central
Caught On Tape: Woman Hurt In Purse Snatching
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Dallas police are looking for two men who violently snatched an elderly woman's purse and threw her to the ground.
The attack happened on the night of November 11 in the parking lot of the Prima Care Medical Clinic at 6350 E. Mockingbird.
A surveillance camera caught the crime on tape.
It shows two men approaching 76-year-old Dorothy Thompson as she is about to enter the clinic. One of the men can be seen grabbing her purse. She holds onto it, but the crook keeps pulling and drags the woman to the ground.
"It was over my arm and he just lunged" says Thompson.
The two men can then be seen running from the scene in opposite directions.
Thompson was outside the Prima Care when the men walked by before grabbing her purse. But Thompson refused to go quietly. The tape shows her struggling to get to her feet while still clutching the handbag. One of the men fled while Thompson's attacker yanked her to the ground.
"When I fell to the ground, I guess that's when I let go of the purse. I could not keep up with him. He was running so fast."
Police say she suffered minor injuries.
This isn't Thompson's first time facing violent crime. She's had her purse stolen once before, and even had a gun pointed at her.
"My daughter said... mom, you sure do attract the wrong kind of people."
A stranger returned the purse, minus the credit cards and money. Looking back, Thompson admits she should have reacted differently, but says she couldn't help herself.
"I should have let go, that's what a smart person would have done. But I was going to hang on to it. I didn't even think about it. I just did it."
The men face charges of aggravated robbery. Police are checking if this is related to other purse snatching cases.
Dallas police are asking for anyone who has information about this crime to call them at 214.670.4414.
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