Street Thugs Knock Down 86-Year-Old Lady in Attempted Purse Snatching

Two teens attacked an 86-year-old woman, knocking her to the ground and fracturing her pelvis, attempting to take her purse Wednesday night on Center and Church streets in Santa Cruz, according to police.

The victim and her husband were walking home south on Center from dinner at a local restaurant at 8:40 p.m. when the two males, described as in their mid- to late-teens, ran at the elderly lady from the opposite direction, knocked her to the ground and tried stealing her handbag, said the Santa Cruz Police Department.

While the woman was on the ground, the suspects tried prying away her purse that she had strapped over her head, police said. Unsuccessful at their strong-arm robbery attempt, the pair fled northbound on Center Street.

Detectives scoured the area for video evidence from businesses and homes in the area, and did obtain from the City Hall complex a video of the suspects after the attack, police said.  

The suspects were described as white or Hispanic with dark hair, and both were wearing shorts, police said.

One suspect had a white T-shirt with a small logo on the left chest and a larger logo on the back. The second suspect was possibly wearing a blue and white checkered shirt which he appears to have removed after the attack, police said.

The victim sustained serious injuries during the attack, including a fractured pelvis, and is undergoing medical treatment and care at Dominican Hospital.
  
Detectives are working with her for possible sketches of the suspects, and are working to enhance the images.

Anyone with information, or who might have seen these suspects in and around the downtown or Center Street area, is encouraged to call the Santa Cruz Police Department Investigations Unit at (831) 420-5820.

Individuals can also submit anonymous tips via Tipline (831) 420-5995,  smartphone app,or at www.santacruzpolice.com.