Man Steals Elderly Woman's Purse​ Inside San Rafael Store​: Cops

SAN RAFAEL, CA — San Rafael police arrested a man on suspicion of stealing a woman's handbag while she was shopping Thursday afternoon.

The 87-year-old woman told police she noticed a man who seemed to be following her on each aisle of the Safeway at 700 B Street. When the woman noticed her handbag was missing from her shopping cart, she notified a store employee around 2:10 p.m., police Lt. Lisa Holton said.

Another employee reported seeing a man run from the store around the same time, and a store surveillance camera captured the actual theft, Holton said.

Cpl. Ronda Cordero responded to the theft, and when she concluded an investigation and left the store, she saw the suspect on the corner of A and Second streets who appeared to be inspecting the contents of a wallet, Holton said.

Cordero stopped her patrol car to detain the suspect, but he ran toward the downtown area. Other officers responded and the man was captured after a brief pursuit.

The suspect, identified as Neil Joseph Colvin, 27, of San Rafael, was booked in the Marin County Jail for grand theft from a person, resisting arrest and violating his probation, Holton said.

The woman's property was recovered and returned, and Colvin was no longer listed on the jail's in-custody booking log Friday morning.

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