Police say suspect snatched woman’s purse at gunpoint

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Police are searching for a suspect they say snatched a woman’s purse while holding several people at gunpoint early Saturday morning.

Wilmington Police say it happened in the 300 block of S. Front Street just after 2 a.m. Saturday. That’s where officers say the suspect pulled a gun on several people walking in the area, demanding a woman’s purse.

Police say after the suspect snatched the purse and took off running, one of the male victims started chasing after him on Front Street until he caught up with the suspect on 2nd Street. They say when the robber pointed the gun at the man again, so he stopped chasing the suspect.

Officers say they later found the woman’s purse on top of a vehicle in the 300 block of S. Front Street. The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s or 30s, who is about 6′ tall with short dreadlocks. Police say he was wearing a light-colored coat at the time of the crime, and was carrying a silver semi-automatic handgun.