The NYPD is asking for the public’s help tracking down a suspect in a violent purse snatching that left a 68-year-old woman punched and rattled outside a Fordham building. The robbery happened on Saturday, April 18, in front of 360 East Fordham Road. Police say the attacker grabbed two purses, then bolted east toward Webster Avenue. Detectives have circulated a wanted bulletin with surveillance images and are urging anyone with video or information to come forward, noting that tips may qualify for a reward.
NYPD bulletin lays out the assault
According to a Facebook post by NYPD Crime Stoppers, the incident occurred at approximately 6:48 p.m. on April 18. The post states that the unidentified individual approached the 68-year-old victim in front of 360 East Fordham Road, punched her multiple times in the face, and took two purses before fleeing eastbound on East Fordham Road toward Webster Avenue. The bulletin includes surveillance stills that investigators hope will help identify the suspect.
How to submit tips and rewards
Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips and notes that information leading to an arrest can qualify for a reward. The program’s page on NYC.gov lists the hotline as 800-577-TIPS (8477) and directs users to an online tip portal. Tipsters can also use the CS-NYC mobile app to send information to investigators.
A pattern along the Fordham-Webster corridor
The wanted bulletin comes amid other recent violent thefts in the Fordham area, underscoring detectives’ push for bystander video and door-cam footage. Local reporting earlier in April documented a nearby gunpoint robbery that left a man injured, underscoring why police are asking anyone with footage from the Fordham-Webster corridor to preserve it and reach out to investigators.
Legal implications
NYPD labeled the case a robbery in its bulletin. Under New York law robbery is defined as “forcible stealing” and can be charged in different degrees depending on the level of force used or injury involved, per Justia. Any specific charges will depend on the outcome of the investigation and any injuries documented by authorities or medical personnel…