Purse snatchers targeting Vancouver’s elderly

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver Police are out with a public warning for the elderly after a recent string of purse snatches.

In total there have been four street robberies, with the first happening on April 30th.

A woman was pushed to the ground from behind by a man around 10 a.m. near East 2nd Avenue and Nanaimo Street. The suspect tried to steal the 74-year-old woman’s purse and managed to get away with money and some personal items.

The woman did not suffer any injuries.

The suspect is described as 5’2″ tall and was wearing a black jacket and black toque at the time. Police say the man was also seen getting into a grey car.

The second robbery happened just before 12 p.m. on June 1st on Venables Avenue near Victoria Drive. An 88-year-old woman was knocked to the ground from behind by a man. He fled the scene with the woman’s purse.

The woman suffered minor injuries to her right eye and right side of her mouth, along with bruising to her hands and knees.

The suspect is described as a dark skinned man — possibly Aboriginal or Hispanic — and between 30 to 40 years of age. He is about 5’6″ tall, with a medium build, and short brown hair. Police say he was wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt at the time of the robbery.

The third attack happened on June 30th just before 12 p.m. on Kamloops Street near Turner Street. An 83-year-old woman was walking along a sidewalk when a man grabbed her purse from behind.

The woman tried to hold onto her purse, which ended with her being dragged along the ground until the man got away with the purse. She suffered a dislocated left shoulder, along with scrapes to her arms and legs.

The suspect is described as an Aboriginal man in his 30’s. He has dark-coloured eyes, dark hair, no teeth and was wearing a grey track suit with a hoodie during the attack.

The fourth and most recent robbery happened at 9:30 a.m. yesterday on North Templeton, north of Triumph Street.

A 74-year-old woman was walking down the sidewalk when a man came up to here asking for money. The woman refused and the man grabbed her, slamming her head into a dumpster. The suspect managed to get away with some cash.

The woman was taken to hospital and treated for a possible neck strain and bumps and scrapes to her head.

Police say the suspect is a white male, between 20 and 30 years of age. He is around 6’0″ tall, with a medium build, fair complexion and clean shaven.

At this time, police haven’t identified any suspects and they are treating all incidents as separate robberies.

“We haven’t made any connection in any of them, other than the same general geographic area of northeast Vancouver at a similar time of day, it being the early to mid-morning,” says Cst. Lindsey Houghton. “These thieves, they’re taking their chance[s] in broad daylight in sometimes very busy areas.”

Anyone with any information about any of these attacks is asked to call the Vancouver Police General Investigation Unit at 604-717-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

VPD Safety Tips of Seniors

• If possible, walk with a friend of family member

• Know where you’re going and walk with a sense of purpose with your head up high

• Keep your purse and belongings close to your body so they aren’t easily grabbed

• Carry keys and identifying documents in your pocket, so that if your purse is stolen the thieves won’t have your house keys

• If possible, don’t carry large amounts of money with you