SAN DIEGO — Three people have been charged in connection with more than a dozen purse snatchings, mostly from elderly victims, at supermarkets throughout San Diego and National City, prosecutors announced Monday.
Prosecutors said 15 separate victims were targeted between January and April of this year, typically while they were leaving stores and walking to their cars.
The majority of the victims were Asian women between the ages of 64 and 89, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
The D.A.'s Office said the suspects would wait until victims placed their purses inside their vehicles while loading groceries, then pull up in their own vehicle, snatch the purse, and flee.
In most of the cases, the victims' credit cards were used by the defendants and the victims' personal items were pawned off.
"While the value of the stolen property may not always include a large amount of money, the emotional impact to these victims is often significant," the D.A.'s office said.
All three defendants are currently in county jail and face charges that include theft from an elder, robbery, burglary, and conspiracy to commit elder theft.
Shawntece Nicole Davis, 32, pleaded not guilty on Monday, while Kenya Frazier, 29, and David Anthony Foster, 67, were arraigned last week. They face between eight and 17 years in state prison if convicted of all counts.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement, "Those who prey on the elderly should understand that these crimes will not be tolerated and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."