Purse snatcher attacks in doctor's waiting room

watch embedded video

Watch this video full-size

Embed this video

author

Naomi Pescovitz - View Bio

Read more articles by this author

One Tucson woman was waiting in a doctor's office when a brazen thief snatched her purse right from her lap and ran into an awaiting getaway car. What happened to Patti Campbell, could happen to you.

"I was just sitting waiting for my mom to come out of a doctor's appointment and this young lady was sitting a couple of chairs away from me," Campbell said. "She went by me, snatched my purse, and ran out the door."

Here's how it all played out:

"I had my bag down by my feet next to the chair," Campbell said. "She was just making basically small talk, and I put my purse on my lap to get some kleenex out. She got up and went to the water fountain and on her way back she came by, she snatched my bag," Campbell said.

After that, the woman ran into a getaway car that was waiting outside, meaning this theft had been planned.

"It's just a very scary thing," Campbell said. "It just keeps going over and over in my mind and I'm just trying to get past it."

Campbell and others in the waiting room got a good look at the woman who stole her purse and they filed a police report.

"It's getting really nasty out there and they need to be aware that these things are happening," Campbell said.

But Campbell hopes that by telling her story, she can warn others.

The doctor's office, located on the Northwest side of town, is looking at increasing security. But not every office has the money to do that, so hold on to your belongings no matter where you are, especially heading into the holiday season.