VERO BEACH – The Vero Beach Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect in a purse-snatching that happened Tuesday at the Howard Johnson’s on US 1.
Police have released a description of the man they believe hit a woman in the parking lot and grabbed her purse.
The man is described as a dark-skinned black male, having a rectangular shaped face, sideburns and a small goatee. He was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.
The woman sustained minor injuries during the altercation, according to the police department.
She told authorities that she had been visiting friends at the Howard Johnson’s when she decided to leave. When she got to the parking lot, the man approached and asked if she had a cigarette.
The man then struck her on the face with an unknown object and tried to grab her purse, she told investigators. They pair struggled over the purse before he gained possession of it and fled on foot.
Anyone having any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Vero Beach Police Department Detective Division at (772) 978-4680.
