Purse snatcher victim speaks out, says suspect threatened her life

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A purse snatcher is on the loose and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is on the hunt to catch him.

“It’s so scary,” Elena Perez said.

Perez hasn’t been able to sleep since she was viciously attacked on Tuesday night when a simple trip to the end of her driveway while taking out the trash turned into a nightmare.

“Ten years I’m living over here and no, nothing. It’s good […] until now,” Perez said.

She told detectives that she saw a man riding a bike down her street. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he turned around and rode past her again. The third time, he got off his bike and approached her.

“Stop it!” She said to the man. “He said, ‘give me your bag. I need your bag.’ I said no and I used my hands. He said, ‘no, you stop or I’m killing you,'” Perez explained.

Perez said it looked like he had a knife in his hand. Knowing her 10-year-old son and toddler were watching the whole thing, she gave up her purse and screamed for her husband.

“I was yelling for my husband, ‘I need help! Help!'”

Her husband chased the suspect down the road, but he got away. She says her family hasn’t been able to sleep since. She says she doesn’t care about the money that was stolen, just the pictures of her children that were on a camera inside the purse.

The suspect was last seen running north on Jersey Road. He is described as a black male, 5’8″, medium build. He was wearing a white tank top and long black shorts or pants.

Anyone with information on the identity or the whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) or you can text a tip to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword: REWARD.