OKC Police Release Surveillance Video Of Accused Purse Snatcher

Oklahoma City police are looking for a man who wrestled a woman to the ground for her purse.

It happened outside of a northwest Oklahoma City grocery store last week. But fortunately, he was caught on camera. And on Tuesday, police released that video.

The woman who was attacked said she came to the Walmart neighborhood market near N.W. 23rd and MacArthur just before midnight September 25.

She said she had her purse strapped across her body, when she was attacked from behind.

"At first I thought it was somebody I knew," said the woman, who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. "And then he just yanked my purse, just grabbed it."

She said she was right by the red pillars at the entrance of the store when her attacker grabbed her purse, knocked her to the ground, and took off running.

"It was awful! It was a horrible feeling," she said as tears came to her eyes.

She got the strap of the purse, while the guy who attacked her got the rest.

"He took off with the purse, and by the time I got up, he was already around the corner," she recalled. "He was that quick."

But surveillance cameras may have captured the brazen thief. Police believe the second person who walks into the store is the person responsible for the attack, and that the guy who walked in with him may be an accomplice to the purse snatching.

The attack left the woman with minor scrapes and bruising on her arm and back. But now she has a major fear of going to the grocery store alone. And she said everything of value was in that purse. Her phone, her wallet, even birthday cards to her kids from her mother.

"They hadn't even read them yet," she cried. "He was dragging me like I was a ragdoll. He drug me, shaking my purse across the street like it was his! Like I took something from him! Like it belonged to him!"

She just hopes police catch the person responsible.

Now police tell us even if you do everything right, you may still be a victim of crime. But they do recommend a couple of things. They suggest you go shopping with a friend or family member, since there's usually safety in numbers. They also suggest for you to check your surroundings, and notice who's around you.

If you know either of the people in that surveillance video, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at (405)-235-7300.