Citizens help police nab purse snatcher

St Joseph police have held a man who allegedly assaulted a 36-year-old Venezuelan woman last weekend, but said his capture came about in no small part thanks to the assistance of the public.

After the TT Police Service, in a post on its Twitter feed Wednesday asked the public to share information about the suspect, several people sent information to police.

“Thank you. Great things happen when you help us,” the TTPS tweeted today.

Yesterday at about 11.20 am St Joseph police arrested the suspect near the University of the West Indies in St Augustine.

The man was earlier recorded trying to snatch a purse from the woman while she was walking alone along a street in St Joseph. In the video, he approached the woman from behind, grabbed her bag and tried to run off. However, the woman held on to the bag. The man yanked at it and hit her several times in the face and head, but the woman still held on.

The man eventually gave up and walked off.