LEWISTON — A day after a man stole a wallet from an elderly woman using a walker inside the Oak Park Apartments building, a man stole a purse from a woman in a wheelchair on Blake Street.
Lewiston police say a 57-year-old, wheelchair-bound woman was returning home from Kennedy Park around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and was outside an apartment building at 182 Blake St. when she felt someone tugging at her purse. She told police she looked up to find a man trying to take it from her. She resisted and they struggled. The woman suffered minor injuries and the man fled with the purse, which contained an undisclosed amount of cash, her ID and other items.
Because there were similar descriptions, police believe the same man may have been responsible for both robberies.
Both victims described a white man who appeared to be in his early 20s, with light-colored hair. The woman on Tuesday described the man who stole her wallet as being 5 feet, 7 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build. The woman on Wednesday described the man who stole her purse as being 6 feet tall or taller and slender. Police say clothing could have obscured the man’s actual build.
Police are advising people who are concerned about their safety to be aware of their surroundings, to stay in well-lit areas and to travel with a group when possible.
The landlord who owns 182 Blake St. has offered a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who stole the purse there. Police ask that anyone with information about the incident contact Detective James Theiss at 513-3001, extension 3322.
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