Police in Cardiff are seeking the assistance of Llanrumney residents after a second elderly lady become a victim of a handbag snatch.
At around 10am yesterday (Wednesday, May 4) a 78-year-old woman was walking along a gully near Washford Avenue when a man approached her from behind, grabbed her black canvas shopping bag containing her purse, and ran off.
The woman was returning homes from visiting the shops in Countisbury Avenue.
The suspect is described as white, 5ft 9in tall, thin, in his early 20s, clean shaven and was wearing a grey jacket with a black hood.
Detectives working on the investigation believe the male is responsible for a similar theft on Wednesday, April 13.
On that day an 84-year-old woman had collected cash from the post office in Countisbury Avenue and was walking along Bampton Road at around 11am when a man grabbed her bag and continued running down the road.
Detective Constable James Morris from Rumney CID said: “Both crimes are being linked because of the proximity of the locations, the nature of the offence, and the description of the suspect.
“To target lone elderly woman in this way is disgraceful and the person responsible should be thoroughly ashamed.
“We are continuing to check CCTV in the area and carry out forensic enquiries but in the meantime we urge anyone with information, or who thinks they may have seen him, to contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rumney Police Station on 029 2077 4252 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
