Purse snatchers at work in the Valley

To the editor:

On Feb. 16, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. in the Fred Meyer store parking lot in Wasilla my purse was snatched. My car was parked about 100 feet from the store entrance (liquor store entrance).

As I turned my back on my shopping cart briefly to open my car door to put in several shopping bags of groceries, a woman ran up and yanked my purse out of my shopping cart. I had a large, like a travel type white old fashioned handbag about 60 years old that had belonged to my mother. I was able to get a hold of one of the handles while the woman tugged at the purse with the other handle.

She was stronger and bigger and yanked the purse from my hand and jumped into a waiting car as was gone. All that took probably less than 10 seconds. I am 80 years old and feel traumatized and angry at these people picking on the elderly and vulnerable.

My purse contained all the valuable items such as drivers license, credit cards, cell phone, checkbooks, family photos, cash etc. Within a half hour the thieves charged nearly $300 on my credit card at Walmart in Wasilla and tried others. I have traveled a great deal and lived in other countries., this has never happened before. According to police, this is not an isolated incident in the Valley. I am devastated. I pray that they will be caught and jailed to prevent other women from being victims. Will pay a reward for the return of my purse which is probably in some trashcan on lying discarded by the side of the road somewhere after the “valuables” were taken out. Anyone with information can call me at 746-3203.

Karin Acuna