Police in Southington and Wallingford are investigating similar purse snatching incidents from commercial parking lots.
At approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, a 71-year-old woman was walking in the Walmart parking lot, 235 Queen St. in Southington when a man got out of the passenger side of a white Nissan Altima and “forcibly ripped” her purse from her, knocking the woman to the ground, before returning to the Altima, police said.
“The woman was able to get up and approach the vehicle, almost being knocked to the ground a second time,” Southington police said in a statement.
Police said the vehicle was reported stolen out of Rhode Island and bore the registration #1EC523.
Officers said they came across a vehicle traveling north on Queen Street that matched the description of the Nissan involved in the robbery. Police said they attempted to stop the car after following it on I-84, but “terminated the pursuit after the vehicle accelerated.”
The victim sustained minor injuries and the stolen purse was found in New Haven with money and credit cards missing, according to police.
Wallingford incident
A similar incident occurred in Wallingford Saturday afternoon.
At approximately 1:02 p.m. on Jan. 28, Wallingford police responded to an attempted robbery in the Stop and Shop parking lot at 930 North Colony Rd.
The victim said a silver BMW occupied by a driver and a passenger came to a stop near her as she placed groceries in her car, according to police.
A passenger then reportedly got out of the BMW, grabbed the victim’s purse from her shopping cart and ran back to the vehicle. The victim pursued the suspect and reached into the vehicle to get her purse back, according to police.
Officers said the BMW driver tried to drive away while the victim was still clinging to her purse inside the car and a struggle over the purse ensued. The vehicle then stopped, allowing the passenger to push the victim off of the BMW while she held onto her purse. The victim saw the BMW exit the lot and drive toward North Main Street, according to police.
Police identified the vehicle as a silver 2014 BMW X6 with the registration AH3857, which was reported stolen out of North Haven on the same day.
The suspects in both incidents remained at large Monday afternoon.