Theft Of Woman's Purse Caught On Video; 4 Arrested: Police

MERIDEN, CT — Four people, including three between the ages of 14 and 16, were arrested after a "purse snatching" at a Meriden gas station was caught on video, Meriden police said.

The video shows a woman walking toward the front door of a CITGO convenience store (at 80 Cook Ave.) when a black sedan pulls into the gas station's parking lot.

"The front passenger door opened, a person stepped out, snuck up behind the victim and tore her purse from her grasp before retreating back into the vehicle," police wrote on Facebook. "The vehicle exited the lot at a high rate of speed."

Soon after police started searching for the black sedan, they were told by New Haven officers that it was stolen and was currently parked at the Meriden Mall — and, Meriden police said, they began receiving reports of "youths trying to break into vehicles in the mall parking lot."

Though the suspects fled on foot when police arrived at the mall, the officers took all of them into custody. All four are from New Haven, including the only adult — 18-year-old Harlem Smokes.

Each faces a slew of charges: second-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, third-degree larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, two counts of fifth-degree larceny, fifth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, illegal use of a credit card and conspiracy to commit illegal use of a credit card.

Smokes was held on a $75,000 bond and was given a court date of March 12, while two of the juveniles were released to their parents and a third was transferred to the juvenile detention center in Hartford.

Watch the video here.