Woman Robbed of Purse at West 77th Street Bus Stop

A man robbed a woman of her purse in broad daylight while she was waiting for her bus in front on West 77th Street.

On Aug. 17, the woman had attended an afternoon service at the Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple on Metro Boulevard. Around 2:30 p.m. she walked to her bus stop in front of Barr Engineering.

While standing at the bus stop, a man with a black backpack, wearing a black t-shirt and sunglasses, approached from the north and stood beside the woman for almost 15 minutes, as if he were waiting for the bus. He looked about 23 years old, 5-feet-9-inches tall, around 155 pounds.

After a silent 15 minutes, the woman found the man suddenly in front of her, grabbing her purse from her hands. The purse was worth about $80.

He then ran off to the southeast, through office buildings and parking lots. The woman pursued him, screaming, several blocks to Edina Industrial Boulevard, where she called 911.

Another member of the Hindu Temple heard the woman’s screams and followed the robber south across Industrial Boulevard, until he disappeared behind Lang’s Gas Station.