Crime & Safety
Vons Shoppers Help Tackle Alleged Purse Thief
Chris Vosburgh, 23, was arrested on suspicion of stealing a purse from a woman's grocery cart Tuesday after witnesses chased him down and tackled him.
A handful of shoppers, including an off-duty police officer, helped capture a Seal Beach man who allegedly stole a purse from a woman’s shopping cart Tuesday evening, officials said.
On Tuesday evening a 46-year-old Seal Beach woman shopping at Vons Pavilions left her purse unattended in a cart, according to the Seal Beach Police Department.
According to the woman, a man allegedly reached into her cart and removed the purse. When she confronted him, he fled the scene with the purse, authorities said. The woman’s reaction and calls for help triggered a response from other shoppers. Witnesses, including the off-duty police officer, chased and caught the man.
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“She sees him pilfering her purse out of her cart. She does the right thing and vocalizes, ‘Hey, that guy's stealing my purse!' This is Seal Beach -- People aren’t going to sit idly while you try to commit felonies,” said Seal Beach Police Department Sgt. Ron La Velle. “And as I understand it, the off duty-cop makes it to the front (of the pursuers) and tackles the guy.”
Other witnesses helped hold him down until police arrived, said La Velle.
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La Velle, offered his praise to the off-duty officer from another agency.
“I like that aspect of it, that this guy is willing to take an active role in our community and help stop crime even though he’s off-duty,” said La Velle.
After the incident, investigators checked the video surveillance and said the. It was about 6:36 p.m. Tuesday when Seal Beach police received the call that a suspect in the incident had been detained by witnesses at the northwest corner of Bolsa Avenue and Balboa Avenue.
Officers arrested Seal Beach resident Chris Vosburgh, 23, on suspicion of robbing a grocery store customer and booked him into Orange County Jail. According to jail records, Vosburgh is a brown-haired, hazel-eyed man about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds who works in construction.
Officials said no one was injured during the crime or the pursuit, and the woman’s purse was recovered at the scene and returned to her.
Anyone with information about the incident can call Detective Gary Krogman at 562-799-4100, extension 1108.
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