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Mugger attacks 8 women in city's northeast
By LEANORA MINAI, Times Staff Writer
ST. PETERSBURG -- The method is the same: He approaches women from behind, hits them over the head and steals their purse. Since Jan. 13, eight women have been mugged in northeast St. Petersburg. Police have not caught the assailant, who struck twice Feb. 22. "He's approaching people as they approach their residence, and he's either knocking them down or grabbing them in a headlock," said Maj. Tim Story, whose area of supervision includes northeast St. Petersburg. None of the women have been seriously injured, but some were momentarily knocked unconscious. Others were bruised. During one incident, the man followed a woman into the lobby of her apartment building. The victims have been unable to provide a detailed description of the suspect because he wears a dark, hooded sweat shirt. "I'm optimistic we may be able to resolve this thing in a short period of time," Story said. The first incident was at 7:12 p.m. Jan. 13 in the 300 block of First Street NE. The victim was walking to her apartment from her car when a man walked up to her from behind and choked her until she passed out, police said. He stole her purse, wallet, groceries and car keys. The suspect struck a total of four times in January, including 9:05 p.m. Jan. 31 in the 500 block of 12th Avenue NE. In that incident, the man hit a 48-year-old St. Petersburg real estate agent in the forehead with a rock as she walked through the courtyard of her apartment. Neighborhood Times is not publishing her name because the criminal has not been caught. "It's terrible," she said. "You feel powerless, fragile, violated -- a man in your back yard grabbing you." Police say the suspect is responsible for four muggings in February -- two on Feb. 22. One was in the 1100 block of North Shore Drive NE; the other in the 900 block of Locust Street NE. The victim in the North Shore Drive attack was an 82-year-old woman who was thrown to the ground. She scared off her attacker by screaming for police. Virginia Littrell, the council member whose area includes northeast St. Petersburg, said Friday that she was concerned the Police Department had not told her about the rash of muggings. Littrell said she learned about the attacks from a neighborhood association e-mail because she lives in the area. "I want everyone in the neighborhood to be aware this is going on and to be cautious," she said. Story, the police major, said officers have developed leads in the case. "We've beefed up the area with officers," Story said. "But again, I'm reluctant to get into tactics because we may run into problems catching the guy." A series of crimesPolice say women in northeast St. Petersburg are being mugged by a man who hits them over the head, throws them to the ground and steals their purse: -- Jan. 13: 300 block of First Street NE -- Jan. 14: 100 block of Fourth Avenue NE -- Jan. 30: 500 block of 11th Avenue N -- Jan. 31: 500 block of 12th Avenue NE -- Feb 2: 300 block of 13th Avenue NE -- Feb 20: 400 block of Fifth Avenue NE -- Feb 22: 1100 block of North Shore Drive NE -- Feb 22: 900 block of Locust Street NE
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