VIDEO: Woman jumps on purse snatcher's car

KTRK logo
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Woman jumps on thief's car
A woman jumped on the car of a thief who stole her purse

DANIA BEACH, Fla. -- A Florida woman determined to get her purse back managed to jump on a purse snatcher's car at a gas station.

That woman, Janelle Della-Libera told station WPLG, "It was in the blink of an eye. What is this guy doing in my car? What is he doing?"

The surveillance video shows he was stealing her purse, and once Della-Libera realized she was being ripped off in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon while pumping gas, she says her instincts took over.

She said, "I ran around to his side of the car and got on the car in the attempt, hoping that he wouldn't drive off. I reached into the driver side. I had my hand on my hand bag, and at that point he drove off. So I fell off of the vehicle. When I fell on the floor my legs were out and his driver side tire drove over my foot."

Della-Libera was left lying on the ground, injured but alert. She was left with a severely sprained ankle and lots of cuts and bruises. Doctors were amazed her leg wasn't shattered. On crutches, she will be out of work for a few weeks, but she will heal.

The man got away with her handbag, but not her wallet, which Della-Libera had in her hand the whole time.

She said of the thief, "He just kept cursing and calling me names in an attempt to scare me and get me off, but I think I literally scared him to death which is what caused him to drive off."

But now, Della-Libera said she's thinking about her response: "He could have killed me," she said. "What if he had a gun? What if he would have been more vicious? What if my daughter was in the car? I mean the scenario could have played out so much worse."

It's unclear whether the purse snatcher remains on the run.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.