Lamorinda police are searching for a newer model Audi SUV, black in color, with two men aboard Monday after one of the men snatched a purse from a woman at the Moraga Safeway store.
The incident was reported at approximately 4:30 p.m. The victim, who was not injured, was approached and had her purse taken by force by one of the men, described as a black male in a green shirt, his hair in dreadlocks.
Witnesses said the thief got into a black, newer model Audi SUV with paper plates. Another man, described as a black male with an afro-style haircut and checkered shirt, was waiting in the car.
The vehicle was last seen on Moraga Way, heading towards Orinda.
Wow. Big news in little Moraga.
Kinda. Yes. We don’t see a lot of this here, thankfully.
“Strong-Arm Robbery”…Are you implying a weapon was used or intimated?
Negative. A robbery in which force was used – a “strong arm,” as opposed to Armed Robbery.
got it!
Two words: shoe safe. One word: wallet (in your front jeans pocket). At least make it harder for the bad guys to take your stuff. Sure you are the victim here, but you make yourself such a target with that 10lb bag! I am sure it was a fabulous bag.
First, we’re a buncha guys here and we don’t carry purses or manbags. At least we don’t think so, have to check. Second, don’t believe the victim in this instance was carrying an outsized bag or one of those branded fashion bags thieves like so much. We don’t believe she was hurt and we are keeping our fingers crossed that was the case…
Regardless of sex, national origin, or religious or political affiliation, a small, somewhat hidden container of your valuables makes for a hard target. If fashion chooses that you don’t have pockets and you carry a 10lb bag on your arm or shoulder containing everything from your lip gloss to your beloved’s asthma meds and cough drops plus all of your valuables, you have not chosen wisely. Most of the women I have met are smarter than I am and also stupider. I am working on the Venn diagram of it now, but it is almost a 100% overlap…
And, ok, the shoe safe idea is never going to catch on and make me rich…
The size of the purse is irrelevant – purses are easy to steal. Newsflash – men have upper body strength and can easily overpower women – unless the woman is tougher and bigger than he is. If anything, a large purse is easier to hold onto. For you to advise women on “purse size” … well it’s as illogical as women giving men advise regarding ED or jock itch. Please tell me you don’t carry a purse.
A point to consider would be that a slung purse makes it easier for an assailant to grab the wearer, pull her (or him if it’s a laptop or man bag) off balance and to throw them down. A lot of injuries are caused when the owner attempts to hang onto the strap and is dragged or further wrenched by the attacker.
uhmm. OK. I don’t carry a purse, and I decline to state whether I suffer from the heartbreak of psoriasis, ED, and/or jock itch. I do disagree that a wallet, on my person, in a pocket, is no easier to “hang onto” than a woman’s handbag. It turns out my wallet is not a fashion statement at all. It is where I keep my valuables when shopping.
And a smaller purse (clutch, etc.) you fall forward (if he uses force, and men do) and you’re looking at blunt force trauma to the head, which could cause great bodily injury, including death. Being dragged would be the lesser of two evils, injury wise. Too many years in ER. But I understand your point…
That paper plate thing again. Put the dogs on them!
Perhaps those vaunted Moraga anti-crime cams picked up an image or two…
I’m afraid that this is becoming the new normal. And since California rarely sends anybody to jail anymore, and the crooks know it, it’s only going to get worse.
I am guessing that this happened in the parking lot and not inside the store? The attack and level of skill required indicates someone of low ambition and in a hurry to obtain something of short-term value. I am hearing my favorite libertarian in my ear arguing that if crack and speed were legal and inexpensive, this would cost the rest of us a lot less. This was easier than running out of the store with heavy jugs of Tide and baby formula. As the coffee klatch lady, Ms. Richman of SNL, used to say, discuss amongst yourselves.
Still gathering details, David, but we believe this was outside the store as a short chase ensued – unknown if by the victim or an onlooker. As for your proposed relaxation of current laws covering the legality of crack and speed we know you’re joking (Turning to colleague: “He’s joking, right?) but we hasten to add a fellow poster we will not out has outlined a similar approach here in the past. Perhaps he’ll chime in as he has an active brain. As for the Tide and baby formula rips, you’re prescient because we’re taking multiple calls about such thefts in Blackhawk and Pleasant Hill this afternoon. All we can say is that with all the baby formula being taken lately – there’s gotta be a pretty darn big baby around here somewhere.
BIG babies,
and I think I am channeling CN, although he speaks better for himself. I, frankly, don’t what outcome legalization of those harmful drugs would bring. It is perplexing.
The commonality to all these reports is that the criminals invariably drive better cars than I do. Apparently, crime does pay.
Dang, you guys are in our heads. We were just saying that here in The Bunker. We’re driving bikes or clunkers, they’re ripping around in high-end machinery. Of course, most of it is stolen, but there you go…
From Bonnie and Clyde to present day…
I hope she wasn’t hurt. These guys need to get a job – but they won’t. Blaming the victim for carrying a purse is ridiculous. It’s not the same as “low hanging fruit” (vehicle burglaries). As far as wallets – they’re stolen too. This is 100 percent refusing to work for a living – criminal mentality. It’s the way criminals roll…
A lot of these guys actually like to rip and rob and regard it as “work.” Sad, but true.
You know, maybe they needed to quickly come up with cash to pay the registration fee on that new Audi SUV, so they could get their real license plates.😀
I don’t want to go Safeway, Starbucks or the local gas station and be nervously looking over my shoulder so I done get jacked. For those of you who voted yes on Prop 57(early release of non-violent prisoners in 2016) how about you now help us clean up this mess?
Pictures??? Let’s have a look at these guys.
How old was the victim here? Are they targeting older people?
Hope she is ok
Our stores – particularly our safeway stores — seem to be a happy hunting ground for thieves lately.
It’s rare to see security in that shopping center. In fact, it’s rare to see a Moraga cop doing much other than ticketing speeders. Correlation? Hard to say. I have been told there are never more than four cops in the field in Moraga at one time. Maybe it’s time that Moraga realized that it’s 2018 in the Bay Area, not 1965 in the “semi-rural” East Bay hills, and its law enforcement priorities should reflect those changes before someone is killed.
Too many sketchy people roaming around Lamorinda these days. BART and cars with paper plates are their transportation of choice. Stuff like this didn’t used to be routine and now it is. I attribute it to California’s reasonably intentioned but misguided attempts at “criminal justice reform” which have allowed many people who should otherwise be in jail to be released early or not incarcerated at all. All 3 branches of CA government are to blame plus voters who passed Props 47 and 57.
If you see something that you feel is suspicious, do not hesitate to call it in. Paper plates are a dead giveaway nowadays. Stay alert and safe.
Sorry RIF, I have been meaning to shave for several days. I will git er done this time. You lose your cadence at a certain age.