Video: Woman Hangs Onto Purse Snatcher's Car In Getaway Attempt
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DANIA BEACH (CBSMiami) -- A victim decided she wasn't going to make it easy for her attacker during a robbery at a Dania Beach gas station and the whole incident was caught on camera.
It happened at the Mobil on Stirling Road and S.W. 40th Avenue.
Surveillance video from the gas station shows the crook pull up to a pump in a light-colored Cadillac. For a minute or two, he digs in his back seat and acts like he's going to walk inside the store -- when he notices an opportunity to strike.
Casually, the man opens the driver's side door of the car next to him and grabs a purse from the front seat.
It belonged to Janelle Della-Libera, 32, who was pumping gas and immediately chased after him, climbing onto his car in a desperate attempt to stop him.
"I cannot believe that this happened," said an emotional Giovani Della, Janelle's father. "I can not believe this happened, I don't know where my daughter got all that energy and all that power to be able to do that."
Spread out on the hood of the guy's car, Janelle is able to reach inside and appears to hit the crook with her wallet. He begins to speed up and, seconds later, she tumbles off of his car and onto the ground.
"One of the wheels went over her foot," said Della. "So right now she's limping, she has a fractured foot."
Janelle's husband is grateful his wife's injury wasn't worse.
"We're very proud that she didn't just back down and be a victim and we're also very happy she's doing well," said her husband Giovani Libera. "This could have been much worse."
But, he says, there's a lesson here -- when you're at the gas station, lock your doors while you pump and keep your eyes open.
"This is happening all over south Florida," said Libera. "We hear about these kind of incidents happening and we hope the local authorities really take the time to look into this and secure the streets for all our citizens."
If you have information about who this guy is, call Broward Crimestoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.