Cops: Good Samaritans thwart Del. purse snatching

Police are crediting good Samaritans with helping apprehend two men who allegedly snatched a woman's purse Friday afternoon in the parking lot of a Wilmington, Del. Walmart.

Investigators said the 35-year-old victim was walking to her car with a shopping cart around 3:20 p.m., when she was allegedly approached by 20-year-old Stephen Dunfee.

Dunfee grabbed the woman's purse, which was attached to her wrist by a strap, and ran toward Centerville Road, according to investigators. As he fled, he allegedly dropped the bag, spilling its contents on the ground.

No injuries were reported.

Police said witnesses heard the victim scream and saw Dunfee running toward an orange Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was parked nearby.

Dunfee allegedly tried to get in the truck's passenger side door but was tackled by several witnesses, who held him down until police arrived.

Though the pickup truck sped away, a witness was able to provide responding troopers with the vehicle's Delaware registration.

Investigators said they identified the driver of the fleeing truck as 19-year-old Devin Holt. Holt was arrested on foot near his Middleboro Road home.

Dunfee and Holt are both charged with second-degree robbery and conspiracy. Each man is jailed at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $8,000 secured bond.

Police said Dunfee was hit with additional charges of promoting prison contraband and heroin possession after personnel processing him at the jail found two, .025-gram bags of heroin. He was arraigned on those offenses and handed down an additional bond of $1,500.