Man steals purse from grandmother leaving store with 2-year-old grandchild

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Don’t mess with grandma.

That’s what Johns Creek Police say was the moral of the story for a Doraville man now accused of attacking a woman and stealing her purse as she left a grocery store with her granddaughter in tow.

Police say Jonathan Hodges snatched the woman’s purse in front of a Kroger on State Bridge Road a few weeks ago.

“Somebody saw it, got some pictures and sent us a video of him fleeing the scene in the burgundy Honda civic,” said Johns Creek police Capt. Chris Byers.

Byers told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik detectives were able to track down video of Hodges using the victim's credit card at various stores in the north metro area, so they posted his picture on social media.

“It definitely struck a chord with us here … and we kind of thought it would strike a chord also with our residents,” he said.

Sure enough, last week he said someone spotted Hodges at a Target, also on State Bridge Road, and called 911.

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“Inside the car were some of the items that had been purchased with our victim’s credit card as well,” he said.

Byers said detectives believe Hodges was working with an accomplice, who they have not yet identified, and that Hodges could be connected to a similar attack near Emory around the same time frame.

He’s currently in the Fulton County jail facing robbery charges.

“Surveillance video worked great for us. Having a citizen that took quick into action to get pictures and video to us definitely gave us that lead that we needed,” Byers said.

Shopper Stephanie Lattimore said she feels it’s sad that anyone would target senior citizens.

“It’s awful,” she said. “I don’t have my purse with me because I’ll take my wallet out and then take it like that.”

Cox Media Group