CBS2 Exclusive: UES Purse Snatching Victim Speaks Out About Ordeal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are looking for a man who they said robbed a 69-year-old woman on the Upper East Side last month.
Now, the woman is speaking out in an exclusive interview with CBS2's Ilana Gold.
"It was really frightening," Debby Schevill said.
Schevill said she had the scare of a lifetime on Nov. 9 while walking home on East 83rd Street in Yorkville.
"I was shaking all over. I was so terrified," she said.
Police said the suspect yanked a purse from Schevill's hand, causing her to fall to the sidewalk.
"He grabbed my handbag. I never even saw him for even one second," she said.
Schevill had to undergo shoulder surgery and suffered bruising all over her body, Gold reported.
Police said the suspect was caught on surveillance cameras a second later, taking off with her purse.
"I was terrified. I've lived in this wonderful neighborhood for 35 years and nothing ever happened to me," Schevill said.
The crime has a lot of women in the neighborhood on high alert and scared for their safety, Gold reported.
"It makes me more concerned to walk alone at night," said Emily Lonwell-Grice.
Schevill hopes detectives find the suspect before he targets someone else.
"He needs to be off the streets. People need to be able to walk around," she said.
And for Schevill, walking around alone won't happen again until he's behind bars, Gold reported.
Schevill said she's been out of work for three weeks now because of her injuries. She hopes to go back sometime this month.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips to the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
