Woman, 66, injured in Southpoint purse snatching; police search for suspects

According to police, the first incident was reported on Dec. 30 at about 2:40 p.m. A 66-year-old woman was walking in the parking lot near Belk when she was knocked unconscious.

The victim, who spoke to WRAL News but did not want to be identified, said she wants her story to be a warning to other shoppers.

"Just be alert...be aware," she said.

The woman said she does not remember much but felt a tug at her purse.

"I jerked back because someone was trying to get my purse," she said.

She said she looked to her left and saw a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

"I don't remember getting off the ground or anything. I don't remember being on the ground," she said.

But according to witness accounts, the woman was on the ground and knocked unconscious.

"One of (the witnesses) said he took the heel of his hand and pushed my head into the pavement and took off," she said.

When the woman came to, she said, her purse was gone, and she was covered in blood.

"When I was in the EMT van, my whole T-shirt was saturated in blood," she said. "The day after, you could see bruises on my arm from three fingerprints. I have a bruise on my hip and a bruise on my knee. I think he was a bad guy because he didn't just grab the purse."

The second incident happened Jan. 2 shortly before 8:30 p.m. Police said the muggers were described as tall, slender men who were wearing light-colored clothing and masks. The men left the scene in a white, four-door car, possibly a Mazda.

No weapons were used in the incidents.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 919-560-4583 or Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.