A warning from Boca Raton police. Detectives are investigating two drive-by purse snatchings.
NewsChannel 5 spoke with one victim. She didn’t want to share her name. She said she had just placed items in the trunk of her car outside Paw Depot on Palmetto Park Road, near Interstate-95.
“I just feel a car brush up behind me,” she remembered.
Almost immediately, she knew something wasn’t right.
“They pulled up so close to my car, that if I were to try to open my car door, I wouldn’t have been able to. So I was almost cornered in,” she described.
The rest happened in an instant. The woman remembers a man reaching out of the back window, coming right at her.
“As soon as he grabbed my arm, I was like take my bag, and I screamed bloody murder,” the woman said.
The car drove off with the woman’s purse. That was last Thursday, at about 6:15 p.m.
Boca Raton police said nearly the exact same thing happened outside a downtown Publix Tuesday after dark.
“The way they did it to me, it’s almost like they were so comfortable with what they were doing and they had it down so perfectly,” explained the first victim, wondering if the same people are responsible for both crimes.
Mother of three, Dr. Jean Senyshyn, said she’s always thinking of ways to keep crooks from getting away with her purse.
“I’m concerned, but I try to do all the things they recommend, putting your purse in your car first, making sure you have your cell phone on you for access,” she explained.
Now the victim NewsChannel 5 spoke to is forced to think differently.
“I’m looking all over the place when I walk to the car, I can’t help it,” she said.
The big tip from police is be aware of your surroundings. Also park in well-lit areas near other people. Carry small amounts of cash or valuables in your purse.
Police are looking for a silver Toyota sedan related to these incidents.
If you have information, call Detective Scott Hanley at (561) 338-1344 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 458-TIPS.
