Woman, 70, fends off 2 purse snatchers

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - A 70-year-old woman in Niagara Falls fended off an attacker going after her purse.

Seventy-year-old Marie Hazen was walking in Niagara Falls with her brother, Pat Reel, when all of a sudden two young men attacked her.

Hazen said, "I felt something tug at my bag and I turned around and he said, 'I want your purse.' And I said, 'You're not bleeping getting it.'"

That's when Marie fought back.

"They took off like a bat out of hell when I was screaming, screaming. I said the best weapon I had was my bloody mouth," joked Hazen.

Reel added, "You don't mess with my sister!"

Reel, who's 66 years old, jumped in to help his sister.

"You don't mess with the Irish," said Reel.

Hazen says she had about $700 on her at the time. "This was my holiday money and nobody was going to get it."

Marie and her brother were walking up from Crowne Plaza when they were attacked on Sunday. It was very quiet outside, but when they were attacked, people came rushing out to help them.

Detective Dan Dobrasz, Jr. of the Niagara Falls Police Department said, "They've got a heck of a story to tell about their vacation in Niagara Falls now."

Dobrasz is impressed by their positive attitudes, however he doesn't recommend fighting back.

"Your life is not worth a few dollars from the purse they would get, but it just goes to show you, you never know who you're messing with," said Dobrasz.

Officials are describing the suspects as two while males in their 20s wearing dark clothing.

Hazen added, "I hope they get the two creeps, I really do."