A crook yanked a purse out of a 68-year-old woman’s arms in a Forest Hills 99-cent store on Saturday afternoon during a robbery caught on camera, police reported.
The NYPD released footage of the incident which occurred at 9:40 a.m. on Aug. 10 inside the Food 99 Cent Discount shop at 118-27 Queens Blvd.
Law enforcement sources said the victim was shopping in one of the aisles when the perpetrator, who had walked in seconds earlier, approached her. The footage shows the man grabbing the woman’s purse out of her arms during a brief struggle, then walking away.
Cops said the suspect fled the store with the handbag, which contained a debit card and $150 in cash.
Officers from the 112th Precinct responded to the scene. The woman was not injured.
As of press time, the perpetrator remains at large. Cops described the purse thief as a black man who wore a white baseball cap, blue jeans, white-and-black sneakers and a blue long-sleeved shirt while carrying a black backpack.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website or send a direct message on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
