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Woman says teens snatched her purse at local Walmart

“I feel sorry for the boys to tell you the truth, as young as they are,” Williams said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested a 15-year-old reportedly involved in the alleged purse snatching incident at a westside Walmart. 

First Coast News is not identifying him because he is a minor.

The 66-year-old victim, Rhonda Williams, says she was injured on her head and hands during the mugging.

She told First Coast News she got out of her car just before 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and started heading towards the front entrance of the Walmart on Normandy. Moments later, she said the teenagers snatched her purse before throwing her to the ground.

She said she noticed them walking from the entrance as she was walking out. 

“Within seconds, they had gone around my back and one of them started pulling at my strap,” Williams said. “He started pulling, and I was pulling, and I was using my hand, and finally he kind of let up and then he gave one hard jerk and threw me on the street.”

The young men ran off, but just a few hours later Williams says the app 'Life 360' on her phone lead police to her purse, which was left in someone’s yard. Her family members used the app to track her phone to someone’s yard nearby, where the purse snatchers ditched the purse and everything in it.

Williams said her hands were scraped up after the scuffle, and she hit her head on the ground, but was otherwise okay.

“I wasn’t really afraid, I was just enraged that they were doing that,” said Williams.

JSO said they have identified the other person with the 15-year-old, but he has not been charged. The investigation is ongoing.

“I feel sorry for the boys to tell you the truth, as young as they are,” Williams said, who wants to warn everyone to be aware of your surroundings even during the day.

Detectives said they’ve connected the same two young men to a separate purse snatching incident.

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