Woman chases purse thief

SOUTH COAST PLAZA — Costa Mesa police are looking for a man who reportedly snatched a Walnut woman’s purse in the Nordstrom parking lot at South Coast Plaza on Friday morning.

When the would-be thief grabbed Mariel F. Punsalan’s purse around 11:40 a.m. Friday, the 27-year-old woman took off after him, yelling so she could get the attention of people around her.

“I just screamed and made a commotion so hopefully people would help me,” she said as a member of the Costa Mesa Crime Scene Investigation team gathered evidence near Sunflower Avenue and Plaza Drive.

The man reportedly dropped Punsalan’s purse as she and bystanders chased him across Sunflower Avenue toward the Regency Theatres in Santa Ana.

When they thought they had the thief cornered, a gold Mercedes pulled up and the man jumped into the passenger window “ ‘Dukes of Hazzard’-style” before the car took off, Sgt. Marty Carver said. Police believe the driver was probably involved or knew the man.

The man was described as Latino, 20 to 25 years old, with dark hair. He was between 5-foot-6 and 6-foot-3, although Carver said most witnesses police talked to said the man was around 6 feet tall. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and weighed approximately 170 pounds.

Punsalan said she didn’t think twice before taking off after the man who had taken her black purse off her right arm as she put shopping bags in the trunk of her sedan.

“It was fight or flight at that point,” she said.

Police warned that the best defense to stave off thieves is to be aware of your surroundings at all times.