Woman's Purse Snatched Outside Beauty Salon, Police Say

A purse-snatching suspect was being sought by Murrieta police.

Police said a woman had her purse taken from her at about 3:27 p.m. Tuesday as she sat in her car in the parking lot of the shopping center at 41539 Kalmia Street.

The woman had just come from when a man allegedly approached her asking for directions, according to Murrieta police Sgt. Ron Driscoll.

"She was sitting in her car with her window rolled down," Driscoll said.

"The suspect had a brief conversation with the victim then grabbed the victim's purse from her lap," the sergeant said.

Driscoll said the woman was not injured and there was no struggle. The woman didn't realize her purse had been taken until after the suspect was gone, he said.

Police described the suspect as a 5-feet-6-inch Hispanic male between 21 and 25 years old, 150 pounds with short brown hair and wearing a white button-up short sleeved shirt.

He left in a mid-2000s dark gray sedan toward Jefferson Avenue, Driscoll said.

Police were not immediately able to recover the purse or locate the suspect but are continuing their investigation. Anyone with information was asked to call the on-duty watch commander at 951-696-3615. Information can also be provided anonymously through "We Tip" at 1-800-78-CRIME.