Two separate Madison women were robbed of their purses at Woodman's Food Market East over the weekend.
The first crime happened when a thief grabbed the purse of a 90-year-old woman while she loaded her groceries into her car in the parking lot Sunday, Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said.
The suspect then allegedly jumped into a getaway car. His accomplice was driving a smaller blue sedan, police said.
The suspect is said to be around 5'9'' and 150 to 170 pounds. At the time of the incident he was wearing a brown coat with a tan stripe, police said.
On Friday, a 58-year-old Madison woman placed her purse in the grocery cart as she placed items into the backseat of her car. The suspect grabbed the purse and ran toward a gray, 4-door sedan, DeSpain said.
""An accomplice was inside and she could hear the crook yell: ‘Start the engine!' as she gave chase,"" DeSpain said in a statement.
The victim stopped chasing the suspect after he was inside the car.
The suspect is said to be white in mid mid-20s to 30s with brown hair. He is reportedly 5'10'' and around 145 pounds. At the time of the incident the suspect was wearing a red coat with a light colored knit cap.
According to DeSpain, it is not known whether the two case are related, but there are enough similarities that the same detective will be assigned to both cases.
—Maggie DeGroot
