HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
SOUTH HILO PATROL DIVISION
OFFICER JEFFREY A. FLORES
PHONE: 961-2213
JULY 31, 2001
G-76092MEDIA RELEASE
Big Island police are investigating the robbery Tuesday (July 31, 2001) of a 43-year-old woman at a Hilo shopping center.
Responding to an 8:29 p.m. call, officers learned that the victim was sitting outside an office at the Prince Kuhio Plaza when an unknown man walked up, asked her what time it was and, before she could answer, grabbed her purse with her personal belongings.
Struggling with the suspect and hanging onto her purse, the victim was dragged about 100 feet on the parking lot pavement until the purse straps broke and the thief ran away.
The victim declined medical treatment.
She described the robber as being a local male, being 5-feet-9 in height with a medium build and an unknown weight, having an unknown color of hair, and having a pony tail just past the shoulder level and a small mustache. He was last seen wearing a black-and-gray striped T-shirt and pants of an unknown color.
Anyone with information about the incident or the identity of the thief is asked to call Officer Jeffrey Flores of the South Hilo Patrol Division at 961-2213, Detective Andrew Burian of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Section at 961-2379 or the police non-emergency number at 935-3311.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. Crime Stoppers keeps the identities of callers strictly confidential.
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