A female purse snatcher has struck twice in Abbotsford during the last week.
Const. Ian MacDonald said the first incident took place Thursday, Oct. 20 at about 4:45 p.m., when a woman in her 60s was walking from the bus loop on Bourquin Crescent towards Gladwin Road.
She was taking the route behind Sevenoaks Shopping Centre when a woman on a bike rode up to her and grabbed her purse.
MacDonald said the victim screamed for help and, although there were some people in the area, no one came to her aid.
She reported the incident after she arrived home. The thief is described as a woman in her 20s, about 5' 4" tall, with blonde hair, blue eyes and bad skin.
The second incident took place two days later, also at 4:45 p.m., in the Safeway parking lot in the 32500 block of South Fraser Way.
A shopper had just sat down in the driver's seat of her vehicle and had not yet shut the door when a woman ran up to the car and grabbed her purse.
The victim began screaming, and a man briefly chased the culprit, who escaped after getting into the passenger side of a green mini van.
The Good Samaritan then followed the van in his own vehicle and obtained the licence plate, which was reported to police.
MacDonald said the van's registered owner was tracked down. She was ruled out as having been involved in the robbery, but indicated that other people use the van.
MacDonald said police are now trying to talk to those people. Police believe the two incidents are related, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225.