Man snatches woman's purse at Starbucks and flees scene in U-Haul

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- "This man came out of the blue, leaned over, (and) grabbed it with tons of people watching. It was broad daylight," said Beth Muecke, whose purse was snatched on Friday in the River Oaks area.

It all happened so quickly at the Starbucks on the 2050 block of West Gray.

She was sitting down enjoying her coffee at 2 p.m. when that man made a run for it with her purse.

"There was a U-Haul truck waiting for him with a driver and they jumped in and they sped off," she explained.

Muecke yelled out and everyone around her tried to help, but the suspect was long gone.

Muecke said her credit card was used within minutes, but what police told her is the reason why she wants every woman to listen and be aware: She said the responding officer told her it has happened before.

"This is a thing happening right now, where they're grabbing purses, jumping in U-Haul trucks and speeding off," she said an HPD officer told her.

Muecke said she feels violated, because her credit cards were used, the cash in her purse is gone and her car keys are gone too, but luckily, her house keys were not in her purse. Muecke hopes other women out there realize it can also happen to them.

"I know all my best friends sit at restaurants or cafes and you're in your neighborhood and you're comfortable and just sitting there, and then you're (purse is) gone," she said.

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