A 75-year-old woman is hospitalized with a broken hip, a broken arm, a separated shoulder and internal bleeding thanks to a mugger who attacked her as she and a friend were walking along the sidewalk of a South Jersey outdoor shopping mall.
The two women were strolling the Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton, Burlington County around 8:30 p.m. when a man began walking beside them and then violently grabbed the victim’s purse, according to police.
The elderly victim, who still had the strap of her bag around her shoulder, fell to the ground and then was dragged along the concrete by the suspect, investigators said.
The victim was rushed to the Trauma Center at Cooper University Hospital, where she was remains hospitalized Friday night.
Along with the broken bones and internal bleeding, she also suffered facial lacerations, according to authorities.
The attacker got away with the contents of her purse, said police, who added they are searching for four men who were involved in the crime.
As the mugger stole the victim’s purse, two other men allegedly remained in a getaway car, while a fourth suspect tried to distract security guards in the area by engaging them in conversation, according to detectives.
Witnesses at the scene told investigators the four suspects were smoking near the Clark’s Footwear store before the crime occurred.
The attacker was last seen running towards the rear of the shopping center, near the Sagemore Apartment Complex, according to authorities.
Anyone with information about the crime or the suspects is urged to contact the Evesham Township Police Department at 856-983-1116 or 856-983-1118.