FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — On Thursday morning, two elderly women were robbed in different grocery store parking lots in Federal Way, according to Federal Way Police.
On Friday, Federal Way Police shared a surveillance image of a male and a female, calling the pair persons of interest in recent cases.
The women were 76 and 86 years old and had their purses stolen off their person at a Fred Meyer and Winco Foods parking lot, respectively.
In the first incident, the 76-year-old woman was putting groceries in her car when another person, who police said was in her teens, attempted to take her purse. The elderly woman fought back but police said she was assaulted and fell to the ground. The suspect left with the purse in a blue sedan driven by a male, who police say was also in his teens.
Police arrived at the Fred Meyer parking lot at 9:56 a.m. After the attack, the victim was given medical attention for her injuries.
In the second incident, the 86-year-old woman was walking in the parking lot to go inside the Winco when the blue sedan approached from behind her and the suspect snatched the purse off her shoulder, breaking the strap.
Officers found the blue sedan, but the suspects were able to drive away and escape. The Washington license plate was documented as BVV0447.
Shoppers are noticing a pattern of purse snatching in the area. One posted on social media about the muggings that occurred during the daytime.
“It motivated me yesterday after I find out that there was four all in the same vicinity,” said the shopper who asked to not be identified. She says a grocery store worker warned her about the parking lot purse snatchings.
“Two here at Fred Meyers at Twin Lakes, one Winco off the 348 and one of the QFC,” she said. “When I made this post, I got a whole bunch more people saying yeah, it's happening in Auburn. It's happening in Milton.”
According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, data shows across the state there were 489 purse snatchings in 2021. Last year it was slightly less with 475. When it comes to the most frequent locations for larceny theft offenses, grocery stores were in the top five with nearly 6% of reported cases in 2022.
Police advise residents to be aware of their surroundings and never risk injury fighting back for their purses. They say to hold your purse like a football player holds a football, hugging it to your ribs with one arm. In the case of a purse snatching, give it up and yell for help as you run for safety, police say.
Detectives from the Federal Way Police Criminal Investigations Section are looking into the incidents.
Federal Way Police ask anyone with information to contact the office at 253-835-2121.