WESTFIELD – A woman had her purse snatched Saturday evening and the suspect is still at large.
A witness called police at 7:17 p.m. Saturday night to report she was hearing a woman on Broad Street yelling, “Help! Help! Give me back my purse!”
At the time, the witness was unable to see the victim or the suspect.
Police received a second call one minute later from a witness stating he saw a woman chasing a man wearing a black hoodie and grey sweatpants and carrying a red purse running behind St. John’s Lutheran Church, according to police logs and Pastor Chris Hazzard.
Police spoke to the pastor at the church who told police the suspect had turned and headed back across Broad Street towards Holland Avenue, according to police logs.
Allegedly the victim chased the suspect around the area of Holland Avenue and Broad, Avery and Silver Streets.
Hazzard said that he did not see the suspect, but that a woman parked at Governors Center Nursing Home saw someone running through and gave him the description because the man looked suspicious. Hazzard then relayed the information to the police officers at the scene.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, skinny, about 5’6″, according to police logs.
Police brought a canine to the scene, but the suspect could not be located.
A short time later, Hazzard said he saw someone possibly matching the suspect’s description on College Highway and informed police.
Police questioned a man in that area, but no arrest was made.
On Tuesday, a woman phoned police from Forum House, 55 Broad Street, to report that an employee found a purse belonging to this victim. No information was available as to what contents may have been missing from the handbag.
Staff Writer Christine Charnosky can be reached at [email protected]
