West Seattle woman fights to keep purse

A West Seattle purse theft leads to this confrontation on camera.

Gabrielle Torrison couldn't believe she actually caught someone stealing her purse at the Admiral Safeway in West Seattle.

She wasn't about to let him get away.

"I jumped up on his truck rail and grabbed his wheel," she said.

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Torrison was grocery shopping with her mother Tuesday evening. They got to the parking lot just in time to see the suspect running back to his truck. He was clutching her purse, according to Torrison.

What followed was a minute-long tug of war for the purse.

Torrison's medication was in that purse.

Customers also jumped in to try and stop the driver while other customers recorded the incident. Torrison says it appeared the suspect wasn't expecting the aggressive response.

"He was visibly terrified," she said, "I think if he wasn't, he would have probably injured me because he had a weapon in his hand."

Police say the suspect was holding a drill bit that he allegedly used to steal Torrison's purse, which was inside her car.

Customer Phil Nguyen recorded cell phone video as the man in the truck dangerously drove off. Nguyen's video shows the suspect narrowly missing a customer as he drives away.

"It seemed to me that he wasn't all there. He was aggressive and assertive," Nguyen told KIRO 7.

The suspect did end up driving off with Torrison's purse and cell phone. Fortunately, he did not steal her wallet which she had in her hand the entire time.

Seattle Police officers are still searching for the suspect, who drove a newer truck with no license plate.

Torrison and her family created a fundraising account to help make up for some of the financial losses due to the purse, the medication and the shattered car window.

Here's a link to their GoFundMe page.