NKyTribune staff
The Florence Police Department is looking for a man suspected to be involved in several purse snatchings in the city.
Florence Police responded to two early-morning purse snatchings Tuesday in the US 25/Dixie Highway corridor. The suspect in those incidents matches the description of a man involved in a similar incident on Nov. 16.
There was also a report Tuesday of a suspicious person in the Florence Christian Church parking lot that matches the description of the suspect in the other incidents.
Police have released a surveillance photo of that person from the church’s security camera.
Florence Police have issued the following release regarding the incidents:
On 11/29/16 the Florence Police Department responded to two early morning purse snatchings in the US25/Dixie Hwy. corridor of the City of Florence. The first robbery occurred in the parking lot of Emerson’s Bakery around 7:00 A.M. An unknown male approached the victim in the parking lot and forcibly took her wallet that was around her arm. The male then fled in a vehicle. The second robbery occurred around 7:44 A.M in the parking lot of 7440 Fair Ct. The victim was walking toward her vehicle in the lot when an unknown male approached her and asked her for a ride. The male then grabbed her purse and pulled it from her arm knocking her to the ground. The male again fled in a vehicle.
Shortly after the first robbery and before the second robbery the Florence Police Department received a suspicious person complaint in the parking lot of the Florence Christian Church. An unknown male matching the description of the robbery suspect attempted to open a car door of a vehicle in the parking lot. When the owner of the car asked him what he was doing he fled on foot. The still photo attached to this release is from the security video at the church.
The Florence Police Department is also working a purse snatching case that may be related which occurred on 11/16/16. This incident occurred at 7607 US25 around 10:00 A.M. In this case the victim was getting into her vehicle when an unknown male approached her and grabbed her purse from around her arm causing her to fall to the ground. The unknown male fled in a vehicle.
Suspect Description: M/B, light complexion, medium build, 30 to 40 years old, facial hair wearing a hoody
Vehicle Descriptions: Dark colored sedan (possibly a Camry or Chevy Cruze), blue SUV
Additional information will be made available when collected.
Anyone with information please contact Florence Police Department at (859) 647-5420.