2 arrested in northwest Wichita purse-snatching incidents

Police have arrested two people in connection with a robbery and an attempted robbery Monday afternoon in two busy northwest Wichita parking lots.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the suspects had been taken into custody and the suspect vehicle had been located, according to a Facebook post from the Wichita Police Department.

A man walked up to a 48-year-old woman in the parking lot at the Dillons in the 10000 block of West 21st Street at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, pointed a gun at her and took her purse before leaving in a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a woman, police say.

Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson said the initial police account of a 79-year-old woman being robbed was incorrect. The older woman was a witness to the crime.

The robbery victim told police the Santa Fe was gold and had a temporary tag, police have said. The suspect is a white or Hispanic male in his 20s who has a slim build. He is about 5-feet-9 and wore a white T-shirt, khaki shorts, tennis shoes and a tan baseball hat.

The woman driving the Santa Fe had brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore a red shirt.

A second report within minutes of the first came from the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on the west side of Maize Road near the Dillons, police have said. A 45-year-old woman reported that she was approached by a male in his mid-20s who demanded her purse and lifted his shirt to show a gun tucked into the waistband of his pants.

The woman screamed and ran toward the Wal-Mart, prompting the suspect to flee, police have said.

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 12:35 PM with the headline "2 arrested in northwest Wichita purse-snatching incidents."