Tug-of-war stops attempted purse thief

SANTA FE (KRQE) - A seemingly normal weekend day at the Coach Factory Store at the Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe turned into a battle between a store manager and a would-be purse thief trying to get away with four bags and a scarf.

It all started around 10:30 a.m. Saturday when a woman described by Santa Fe police as a blonde in her mid-20s walks in and heads straight for the display case in front.

On surveillance video from the store, you can see a manager spot the woman and walk over to see what's going on.

The manager sees the woman has four expensive purses and a scarf, worth approximately $2,000 in total, and is trying to leave.  She then blocks the door and grabs onto the bags.

A tug-of-war ensues, and the battle spills outside the store's front door. A customer spots what's going on and runs over to try and help keep the thief from taking off.

Store employees recover the merchandise and bring it back inside while the melee continues.

Then a man described by police as in his late 20s or early 30s with a medium build, enters the picture and tries to help the attempted purse snatcher get away. The two break loose and flee in what investigators say was a beat-up blue Chevy Cavalier with another accomplice.

Police get a license plate number from witnesses, but it turns up as a license plate reported stolen in 2010.

But Santa Fe police Capt. Aric Wheeler says investigators have some leads as to who was responsible for snatching the bags and believes this isn't the first time this group has tried this kind of crime.

"We have some suspects established, so there’ll be a long list of other cases we might be able to clear once we identify these persons," Wheeler said.

Police did not release any other details about the suspects other than they believe the would-be purse thief has been arrested before. The woman faces attempted larceny charges.