An 81-year-old woman chased a pair of robbers down and rammed their car with hers after they stole her purse in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, this week, a move that helped police find the thieves.
A man and woman approached the elderly woman Tuesday as she sat in her
car in her driveway, The Associated Press reported. One reached through an open window, grabbed her purse, and they both fled by car, with the elderly lady in pursuit. She eventually rammed them and they drove away.
Police later identified the suspects’ damaged car at a grocery store parking lot. William Hayhurst, 34, and Erin Vanmatre, 30, were then arrested, the AP said.
WNEP-TV identified the victim as Alice Makla.
“Good for her! I honestly think, good for her!” Maria DePinto told the station. “Honestly, they actually picked on that wrong person, so wrong day to pick on her.”
The suspects noticed how much cash Makla was carrying while they were at Rite Aid and then followed her home to rob her, the station reported. They took $140 out of her wallet before throwing her purse out of the car window.
“She wasn't afraid to go after them. They had her purse. She had I guess some money in there,” Makla’s neighbor, Steve Jabara, told WNEP. “She was pretty brave actually. She doesn't think so but she was.”
Police said the female suspect originally approached Makla in a parking lot asking for $10 for gas, and the 81-year-old
offered up a $20 bill, according to WFMZ.com.
Twitter users seemed impressed with the elderly woman's gall.
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