Purse Snatch Suspect Who Targets Elderly Sought By Police Who Say He Moves Around A Lot
COSTA MESA (CBSLA.com) — Authorities have identified a suspect they believe is responsible for a series of purse snatchings in Orange County.
One of the alleged purse snatchings occurred in August. That crime -- that took place inside a CVS parking lot in Orange County -- was captured on store surveillance video. Police said the victim in that case ended up bruised and scratched.
CBS2's Michele Gile explains how police identified their suspect and talked to one of his alleged victims.
"He needs to get caught," says Patricia Gumaer, 73. "It's just crazy."
Gumaer adds, "How he can have the conscious to do that? It's just crazy. And I've heard he tried to do it with other people. Or someone like him tried to do it with other people, too. He targets people who look like more maybe my age."
Authorities say he's been stealing from elderly woman using the ruse that he wants to detail their cars.
He's been identified as Matthew or Vinnie Vuyna Salazar.
He's 21 and has a Moreno Valley address. Police told Gile he remains elusive because he bounces around from the Inland Empire, to Los Angeles, to Orange County.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Store surveillance video shows a man believed to be the suspect dragging Gumaer as she tries to hang on to her purse. She told Gile she was carrying several hundred dollars at the time and wasn't going to give up the purse without a fight.
She told Gile following the incident she was unable to walk for days.
In-store video at a Kohl's in Yorba Linda captured the suspect using the Gumaer's credit card hours after he was seen dragging her through the parking lot.
He was shown buying shoes and jeans. An alert security officer trained the camera on him convinced he was up to no good.
