RCMP are looking for anyone who may have witnessed a brutal robbery in Red Deer, which may be the latest in a series of recent purse thefts.
Investigators said a woman was walking in the parking lot of a strip mall on 39 Street and 40 Avenue Thursday at around 4 p.m. when her purse was suddenly stolen.
RCMP believe a female suspect snatched the bag and fled in a waiting red Ford 150 truck.
“When the victim attempted to get her purse back, the truck sped away, dragging her behind it for a brief period,” RCMP said in a press release Friday.
The woman was taken to hospital with serious, but likely non life-threatening injuries.
RCMP said they were unable to locate the suspect truck, which also matches the description of a getaway vehicle used in two other similar purse snatchings since Wednesday.
At around 2 p.m. Thursday, a woman reported her purse was taken while in the parking lot of Red Deer’s Bower Mall.
“In that case, a red Ford truck was seen circling the parking lot before a female suspect got out of the passenger side, grabbed the purse and then fled in the waiting truck,” RCMP said.
A woman also reported to have her purse stolen from her shopping cart in the parking lot of Parkland Mall on Wednesday at around 6 p.m. In that case, the suspect was described as a man, about 25 to 30 years old, who also fled in a red Ford F150.
No one was injured in either of the two earlier thefts.
RCMP are asking anyone with information in any of the three incidents to call Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.