A 32-year-old woman was suffered life-threatening injuries Wednesday when a suspected robbery crew tried to steal her purse in Garden Grove and wound up running over her with a vehicle during the ensuing struggle, police said.
The woman was walking with her sister in a parking lot at 13800 Brookhurst Blvd. about 9:45 a.m. when a car pulled alongside them and a suspect tried to wrestle away the victim’s purse, according to Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney.
“At some point during the struggle the female victim was run over by the suspect vehicle,” Whitney said.
The suspects were under surveillance at the time by Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives, who gave chase and called Garden Grove police for help, Whitney said. The detectives had earlier informed Garden Grove police that they were conducting surveillance and asked officers to avoid the area, Whitney said.
The sheriff’s detectives pursued the suspects to the area of the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway and Century Boulevard in South Los Angeles, where the three suspects jumped out and tried to flee on foot, but were caught, Whitney said.
Detectives recovered some evidence at the scene, the lieutenant added.
During the pursuit, the suspects appeared to throw evidence onto the Garden Grove (22) Freeway, so police briefly closed the roadway to conduct a search, Whitney said.
He said paramedics treating the victim “were doing CPR on her and were able to get her stabilized and into surgery.”
Fire officials said she suffered “life-threatening” injuries.
Police will pick up the suspects from Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators to book them in Garden Grove and place them in Orange County Jail, Whitney said.