Man grabs purse, drags woman down sidewalk

DENVER – Police are looking for a man who grabbed a woman's purse in downtown Denver and dragged her down the sidewalk when she wouldn't let go.

Denver Police say the attempted robbery happened just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday near 15th Street and Curtis.

Police say while a woman in her 30s was walking, a man grabbed her purse and then hit her when she refused to let go, causing her to fall down. He then started to drag the victim down the sidewalk to try and get her to let go of the purse.

At one point during the attack, police say the man pulled out a knife and tried to cut the purse strap.

He eventually gave up and ran off, the woman was not seriously injured.

"The Denver Police Department is interested in this particular suspect due to the manner in which he tried to take the victim's purse," said Det. John White. "He was extremely aggressive, appeared to be very desperate and was armed with a weapon and we believe he does pose a threat to public safety."

The man is described as white or Hispanic, about 30 years old with a high and tight hair style. He is about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build and was wearing a white shirt with a black jacket.

Police also released surveillance video of the incident.

"We're looking at that (the tape) and we're analyzing it. At one particular point, if you pause the video, you can get a pretty good look at the suspects face," said White.

Anyone with any information about the robber or the crime is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).