Seattle police arrest man suspected of stealing purses from Asian women
May 19, 2021, 1:05 PM
File photo. (Tony Webster, Flickr)
(Tony Webster, Flickr)
Seattle police are investigating the case of a purse snatcher who has been targeting Asian women outside grocery stores for about six weeks.
Officers arrested the suspect in a Renton car rental lot on Wednesday.
They say the 26-year-old man is a convicted felon and is unable to legally possess guns, but police recovered a loaded handgun from him. He’s been booked into King County Jail on multiple counts of theft and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The Seattle Police Department’s Bias Crimes unit will review the cases due to the suspect’s repeated targeting of Asian victims. He is suspected of stealing purses and bags from more than a dozen women in the Chinatown-International District, Rainier Valley, and Beacon Hill.
