Citizens
catch purse snatcher
An
18-year-old man is in custody following a Dec. 19 attempted robbery. Noe Cortez Gonzalez was arrested after he allegedly
snatched a woman’s purse in a downtown Santa Barbara parking structure.
According
to police, Gonzalez jumped from behind a palm tree and grabbed a 25-year-old
woman by the throat until she offered her purse. Gonzalez then fled from the
scene. But the woman, realizing her purse had $600 for Christmas shopping, gave
chase. While she was pursuing the suspect, two men witnessed the chase and
joined the pursuit. They caught up with the suspect, retrieved the purse and
gave it back to the victim. The suspect fled. Later that night the two men
reportedly witnessed the same man seemingly prowling.
They called police and Gonzalez was arrested and taken to
the Santa Barbara County Jail. He is being held on $50,000 bail.