A suspected purse thief was caught on video crashing into a woman and dragging her 40 yards with his SUV after she confronted him about stealing her sister's purse, Santa Ana Police Department officials announced Thursday.
Surveillance video captured a hit-and-run crash in Santa Ana on June 18, 2018. (Credit: Santa Ana Police Department)
A man went into a family-owned business earlier this month and allegedly stole an unattended purse. Family members saw the theft on video and the vehicle that was involved, and reported the incident to police.
On Monday, family members spotted the same vehicle cruising around the same business and tried to confront the driver, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told KTLA..
Video shows a woman, the theft victim's sister, standing in front of an SUV as the driver continues down the street. The driver does not stop, hits the victim and drags her underneath the vehicle about 40 yards, Bertagna said.
The driver then puts the vehicle in reverse and drives off after the victim is unstuck from the vehicle, Bertagna said.
Arturo Suarez is shown in a photo released by the Santa Ana Police Department on June 21, 2018.
The driver, identified as Arturo Suarez, 25, was arrested Tuesday night without incident. Bertagna said he is a parolee with a long criminal history.
The hit-and-run victim is recovering at a hospital, Bertagna said. She required several skin grafts.
"She was on her side seizing, her whole body was curled up and she was shaking,” the victim’s sister, Alicia Jamison, said about the crash.
“You never want that for the people that you love, and seeing somebody that you’re so close to go through something like this, is one of harden things that I’ve ever had to face,” the victim’s brother, Andrew Jamison, said.
Police are looking for more witnesses to Monday's incident.
KTLA's Jennifer Thang contributed to this story.