Grannie, 83, Battles Purse Snatcher And Wins

Bernie Garcia, an 83-year-old great-grandmother, is one feisty lady. Suffering from bruises and sore muscles, but fortunately no broken bones, Bernie explained to the press how she battled a mugger in a tale of bravery and determination.

It seemed like any ordinary Wednesday as Bernie Garcia, 83, pulled up to the gas station pump to fill her tank. Stepping from the car she wrapped her purse handles twice around her wrist, always erring on the side of caution. As she stood near the rear of her car she was approached by a man asking her if she had any spare cash. She politely told him no, and continued pumping her gas. Suddenly the man lunged at her, grasping her purse and attempted to pull it from her hands. Bernie struggled and refused to let go. She pulled the gas pump from her car and aimed it at the mugger. Not giving up, he literally pulled her to the ground and began running, hanging on to the purse as Bernie dragged along the ground refusing to let go. Fortunately another patron saw the commotion and ran over to help, shouting at the mugger to "turn her loose you #*%#*%!!!. The man, realizing that Bernie wasn't going to give in, dropped the purse and ran across the lot to a waiting car, jumped in and drove away, but not before the man that had come to rescue the feisty Grannie took down the license plate. The mugger and his accomplice were arrested a short time later and have been charged with robbery and conspiracy.

"They got caught and I'm so glad," Garcia said.

Bernie had refused medical attention at the scene, but when she returned home she said she had felt faint and had gone straight to bed. She awoke the next day sore and stiff. Her son, a firefighter, checked her over and fortunately she had not suffered any broken bones during the attack.

"My son said, `Why didn't you just give (the purse) up?'" Garcia said. "`Hell no,' I told him. That was my purse. I was fighting for what was mine."

Kudos to you Bernie! I am so glad you weren't injured, and although I'm thinking you probably should have just let go of the purse, I give you credit for not cow towing to creeps like these guys. To think they would actually accost someone of your age is just disgusting.