Vancouver –Thanks to the assistance of a witness, a suspect of an alleged purse-snatching has been arrested and charged.
A 59-year-old woman using a walker was at West 8th Avenue and Spruce Street on Wednesday, shortly before 4 p.m., when a man reportedly grabbed her purse. She subsequently fell to the ground and suffered minor injuries.
A witness driving by saw what happened, stopped his vehicle, and chased the 41-year-old suspect. When he caught up, the suspect allegedly threatened the witness with a knife, and dropped the purse before fleeing.
The witness returned to the scene with the purse and provided a detailed description to police.
“Thanks to this description, our officers located the suspect moments later near the seawall,” says Constable Megan Lui. “We commend this Good Samaritan for assisting the victim, and are thankful there were no further injuries.”
Brandon Cormack, 41, has been charged with one count of possessing weapon for dangerous purpose, and is being held in custody.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact investigators at 604-717-3321.
