Two teenage boys were arrested Thursday after a woman had her purse ripped from her shoulder in the Brighton neighborhood.
Officers responded to a report of a robbery at 4:30 pm near 45th Avenue South and South Myrtle Street. The victim was walking on the sidewalk with her daughter when four teenage males, all wearing hooded sweatshirts, ran up behind the woman and grabbed her purse from her shoulder and fled. The victim was not injured.
The suspects split up, with two running east on Myrtle and the other two running south on 45th. The victim’s daughter was able to briefly follow two of the suspects before calling 911.
A witness also got on his bicycle and followed two of the suspects until police arrived. The witness told police he observed the suspects passing the victim’s purse back and forth between them. The witness was able to get the purse and return it to the victim. The two suspects, ages 16 and 17, were arrested and booked into the Youth Services Center for investigation of robbery.
Police also detained and identified two other possible suspects, but released them pending further investigation by detectives.