Purse-Snatch Attempt Lands Suspect in Hospital

All Pedro Soriano wanted was the woman’s purse, according to police.

But when he tried to grab it, a series of blunders unfolded that left Soriano hospitalized Monday with a broken leg and jaw, multiple bruises--and facing a robbery rap.

Los Angeles police said Soriano’s crime partner let him down. Then he got hit by a truck. He didn’t even get the purse, said Detective Fred Riscen of the LAPD’s West Valley Division.

The alleged purse-snatch attempt began to go sour almost from the beginning, Riscen said. The 24-year-old woman, who’d been walking in the 7400 block of Lindley Avenue in Reseda, put up a fight for her handbag. Soriano knocked her to the ground, but his alleged crime partner made a U-turn and tried to drive off. Soriano ran after the moving car and tried to jump in, but fell to the street. He got up, darted toward the car again and was hit by a red truck, Riscen said.

According to detectives, both the white car and red truck sped off, leaving Soriano behind in the gutter.

“The truck driver probably didn’t realize he was making a citizen’s arrest on this guy,” Riscen said.

Soriano, who has no known address, was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he was in critical but stable condition under guarded custody Monday. The district attorney filed a single strong-arm robbery count against him.

Police recovered the woman’s purse near the fallen would-be purse-snatcher, Riscen said. The second suspect has not been identified.