Victim takes fall while trying to stop thief in Florida

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WHDH) -- A woman whose purse was snatched took a dangerous fall while trying to stop the thief.

Jackie Arnold said she pulled up to the Hollywood Animal Hospital Saturday afternoon at around 12 p.m. to take a photo of a banner hanging over Hollywood Boulevard advertising an event she was participating in.

Arnold said, while she was taking the picture, she felt her car shake beneath her. That's when, police said, someone took her purse right from her front seat and drove off in a car.

Once Arnold realized what had just occurred, she tried to chase the vehicle on foot and actually reached out and banged on the car with her hand in an attempt to stop it. She said her Social Security card, credit cards and important health information were all inside her purse.

"I was banging on the car," said Arnold, "and I realized the car wasn't gonna stop coming straight at me. You just run, and I'm yelling at them, 'My purse, my purse! Give me my purse!' I'm four-foot eleven, are they gonna stop? And I just flew face first onto the pavement in the middle of the parking lot."

Surveillance footage caught a black vehicle leave the parking lot.

Arnold, a retired emergency room trauma nurse said people who were working inside the veterinary hospital and people who happened to be outside on the sidewalk went running to her aid, dialed 911 and rushed her down the street to Regional Memorial Hospital.

Arnold suffered a fractured nose and severe black eyes. Since her health information was all in her purse, she said, she will have to pay out of pocket to fix her nose.

Police still have not found the suspects.

If you have any information on who may be responsible for this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.