Tulsa Police Warn Women To Watch Out For Purse Snatchers

Police are warning women across the Tulsa area to be on the lookout for someone who may be looking to steal their purses.

“It took me several seconds to realize that that’s what he had actually done,” said Garnell Riddle.

Riddle was carrying bags to her car from Walmart when she says a man came behind her, grabbed her purse and took off.

She says her purse contained money and a lot of personal information.

“My purse had my driver’s license, my credit card, all of my medical information, my house keys, my car keys, my car fob, pictures of my grandkids,” said Riddle.

Riddle says she had to get the locks on her house changed because he even had her home address.

“I had always thought of myself being a strong person and it’s made me feel very vulnerable,” said Riddle.

Tulsa Police Department says they usually see a rise in purse snatching cases around the holidays.

“These aren't well thought out perfectly executed criminal mastermind things. These are spur of the moment, I see a target, I’m going to grab something and run,” said Tulsa Police Sgt. Brandon Watkins.

Sgt. Watkins says one thing that people can do, is pay attention to fellow shoppers because any information helps.

“A lot of times the victims don't see the actual suspect but people around them do,” said Sgt. Watkins.

And with that information, Tulsa Police Department is able to make arrests fairly quickly in cases like this.

“You steal a purse, you leave behind a very sizable track,” said Sgt. Watkins. “We make a lot of arrests on these guys.”

But Riddle says the suspect stole so much more than just her purse.

“It was more than the physical things that were in the purse; he stole my security,” said Riddle.

The suspect, in this case, is still on the run. The Tulsa Police Department says the best thing you can do is be aware of your surroundings at all times.