A 60-year-old Manteca woman gave chase after three juveniles snatched her purse from the front seat of her car Tuesday afternoon in the 300 block of Cherry Lane near Union Road.
A motorist driving westbound on Cherry Lane witnessed the theft and made a u-turn to go to the woman’s aid. He said she tried to grab her purse away from the youths and was pushed back into the front fender of her car as the Good Samaritan got out of his vehicle and took up the foot pursuit.
She jumped back in her car and drove toward the Manteca Police Department some three blocks away to report the theft, he said.
Officer Bryan Holland said the three teens ducked behind apartment complexes farther east on Cherry Lane where the motorist lost sight of them.
The victim told officers that she had put her purse on the passenger side of the front seat of her car and walked around the vehicle to get in the driver’s side door. The teens allegedly snatched the purse and attempted to flee as she got back out and tried to stop them.
Officer Holland said he back tracked the teens’ route and found the purse discarded in the grass behind apartment complex at 439 Cherry Lane. He said those apartments back up to the railroad tracks and suspected that the trio jumped the block wall in their attempt to get away.
Another witness reported seeing the three boys walking the Union Pacific Railroad tracks minutes later at Walnut Street to the east wearing black and white checkered clothes and hat.
A motorist driving westbound on Cherry Lane witnessed the theft and made a u-turn to go to the woman’s aid. He said she tried to grab her purse away from the youths and was pushed back into the front fender of her car as the Good Samaritan got out of his vehicle and took up the foot pursuit.
She jumped back in her car and drove toward the Manteca Police Department some three blocks away to report the theft, he said.
Officer Bryan Holland said the three teens ducked behind apartment complexes farther east on Cherry Lane where the motorist lost sight of them.
The victim told officers that she had put her purse on the passenger side of the front seat of her car and walked around the vehicle to get in the driver’s side door. The teens allegedly snatched the purse and attempted to flee as she got back out and tried to stop them.
Officer Holland said he back tracked the teens’ route and found the purse discarded in the grass behind apartment complex at 439 Cherry Lane. He said those apartments back up to the railroad tracks and suspected that the trio jumped the block wall in their attempt to get away.
Another witness reported seeing the three boys walking the Union Pacific Railroad tracks minutes later at Walnut Street to the east wearing black and white checkered clothes and hat.
