By Christian Jennings - bio | email
January 26, 2009
THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - A purse stealer led Thomas and Grady County deputies on a high-speed chase past the Florida line.
Police say the man snatched elderly women's purses in the Thomasville Publix parking lot on two occassions.
The latest robbery ended in a crash and his arrest.
When 67-year-old Mary Coffman made her Sunday trip to Publix police say James Veasey Jr. came up behind her in the parking lot, and robbed Mrs. Coffman in broad daylight.
"While she was loading her groceries into her car, this suspect approached her, grabbed her pocket book, and pushed her to the ground," said Assistant Commander Melvin Johnson with the Thomasville Police Department.
Veasey took off and used her credit cards at the Wal-Mart down the street. When police spotted his vehicle they tried to stop him, but he sped off.
Thomas and Grady county deputies followed him all the way to Bradfordville Florida. But that was far as he got.
"The subject lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle then hit a guardrail, and the vehicle turned over several times," said Johnson.
But Veasey didn't stop there. He took off running only to be arrested minutes later.
And police say Veasey isn't new to snatching elderly women's purses. Just last weekend they say he did the same thing in front of Publix to an 81-year-old lady.
Veasey now faces two counts of robbery charges in Thomasville and several other charges in Florida. And it was all over a pocket book, with a little cash and a cell phone inside.
Neither one of the victims was hurt in the robberies. The suspect was injured in his crash. He was released from the hospital later that day and taken to jail. Feedback
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