Three women robbed in Arcadia parking lot in one week

ARCADIA -- Police are investigating the possibility that three similar -- and sometimes violent -- purse robberies in the span of a week in the same Asian market parking lot are the work of the same robbers.
The crimes took place Tuesday, Jan. 22 and Jan. 20 in the parking lot of the 99 Ranch Market, 1300 South Golden West Avenue, Arcadia police Detective Steve Turner said.
In the most recent robbery, a woman was dragged by her purse about 30 feet as the robbers fled in a car, police said. In the first robbery in the series, a woman was pushed to the ground and kicked in the face.
"It looks like it could very well be the same (robbers)," Turner said.
In addition to the similar nature of the crimes and the fact that they occurred in the same place in a short period of time, Turner said, the getaway car in all three robberies was described as maroon or burgundy.
A store manager at the 99 Ranch Market deferred comment to the management company that owns the business. Officials at the management company declined to comment for this story.
In the most recent case, a woman in her 60s was loading groceries into the trunk of her car about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when at least two robbers pulled up behind her in a burgundy car she thought may have been a 1980s or 1990s Buick Century, police said in a written statement.
The passenger in the car leaned out and grabbed her purse, police said.
"The suspects dragged the victim about 30 feet as they drove off before she was able to break free from the purse," the police statement said.
The woman suffered minor scrapes and was not hospitalized, Turner said. She was unable to provide a description of the people in the car.
A woman in her 50s was robbed in a similar manner in the same parking lot about 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 22.
She was walking through the parking lot when a burgundy, 4-door sedan pulled alongside her, police said. A male passenger in the car leaned out and grabbed her purse before the car fled.
The victim described the passenger as a Latino man in his 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 165 pounds and wearing a black jacket, authorities said. She was unable to describe the driver.
Two days earlier, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse as she was bringing groceries to her car, police said. She suffered minor injuries in the assault.
She described one of the robbers as an Asian man in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and clean-shaven, police said. He had short, dark hair and wore purple and black jacket with black pants.
The second robber in the Jan. 20 robbery was described only as male, police said.
The victim described the robbers' getaway car as an older, maroon, 4-door car, possibly a Nissan Sentra.
Turner advised shoppers to be aware of their surroundings, while inside and outside of the car, and to call the police if they see something suspicious.
"If you see somebody that doesn't look right, walk the other way," he said.
Anyone with information can reach Arcadia police detectives at (626) 574-5160.