Suspect Being Sought After Purse-Snatch Victim Dies
A 79-year-old purse-snatching victim died in a local hospital Tuesday, apparently of injuries she received during the theft Sunday morning, a police spokesman said.
Isabelle McLean of Corona was standing in front of the First Congregational Church on South Ramona Avenue when she was approached by a man in his late 20s who asked her for the time, said Lt. Bob Martin, commander of detectives for the Corona Police Department.
The man grabbed her purse and fled after a short struggle, during which McLean fell to the ground. She suffered scratches to her arms, complained of pain in her hip and was taken to Corona Community Hospital.
McLean’s purse contained about $40 in cash, credit cards and personal items.
Police are treating the case as a homicide and are seeking a white man, 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, with brown hair, a light complexion and a thin build, Martin said.
An autopsy will probably be performed today, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County coroner said.
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