Lessons from a purse snatching victim

Monday, July 18th 2005, 10:40 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa woman was with her four small children when a stranger decided he wanted her purse and the fight was on. Now, that it's over and everyone is safe, she has some advice for others.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says Lora picked up her kids from Bible School around 9 Sunday night, stopped by the grocery store and headed home. She let the kids out of the van and started unloading groceries when a man parked across the street and walked right up to her. "I was startled he approached me, but, thought he was going to ask me for directions or help and he immediately grabbed my bags and my purse that was in my hands."

Lora's instinct took over and she yanked on her purse with one hand and started hitting the man in the chest with the other. He was stronger and yanked her down the drive-way, across the street, all the way to his car.

Despite her screaming, her husband didn't wake up and her neighbors didn't come outside. "When we got near the car, he opened the door and I looked down and realized he had my purse, he must've just gotten it and I banged on his glass and bruised my hand and that's when I realized I should get the tag."

Just as she ran behind his car, he sped off. Her children were in the yard, screaming the whole time. She's thankful everyone is safe and she immediately cancelled her credit cards and checking account. But it upset this happened in her own drive-way, so quickly. "Last night, I was angry then today I was more troubled and emotional, but, mostly angry."

She says in hindsight, she would've watched her rearview mirror on her way home, because she feels certain he followed her from the grocery store. She wouldn't gotten out when she saw the car she didn't know, park across from her house. She also wouldn't fought less for her purse and worried more about getting a better description of the man and his car and of course, his tag number.

Tulsa Police say all of that is good advice and while they did stop a few cars in her neighborhood, they didn't find the purse snatcher.