Purse Snatcher Stole Woman's Bag While She Walked to Car After Dinner: Cops

The purse snatching at the Coral Gables restaurant was caught on surveillance video

Surveillance video shows an elderly woman and her daughter walking to their car after enjoying a nice meal at Spizzigo in Coral Gables.

Then a white van pulls up behind them and appears to follow the pair. A man jumps out of the van, waving his hands in the air.

"He stole her handbag and just disappeared, like that," said Eduardo Quesada, Spizzigo's owner.

One of the restaurant's surveillance cameras captured the crime. The suspect can be seen jumping into the getaway car.

When all was said and done Coral Gables Police say the victim, 81-year-old Hortensia Alonso, was out of a $1,000 bag, and $500 wallet, and likely her sense of safety.

Less than 24 hours earlier, near the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on LeJeune Road a tourist from Turkey had her bag snatched as she walked to her rental car in the parking lot. The police incident report states Gaye Gungor, the victim, told police that she noticed two men sitting in a silver sedan.

One of them exited the car, said hello to her and then grabbed her purse. He ran back into his vehicle. Gungor would suffer more than just a monetary loss, she was dragged by the car, suffering serious injuries as she tried to hold onto the door, according to the police report.

"This is a beautiful area, and a beautiful street with a nice restaurants," said Quesada.

He believes that unfortunately, the row of swanky restaurants is frequented by the kind of visitors the bad guys want to target.

"We're going to need more police presence around here," the restaurant owner says.

"It's, to be honest, the first time that we hear that something like this happening in this area. Its a good area, and its surprising," said Federico Alto.

He hoped the purse snatchings were not a sign of a trend in Coral Gables.

Police are looking for two different sets of suspects. If you have any information that can help, call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
 

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