DELTONA, Fla. – A man was arrested Monday in connection with purse snatching incidents at two Publix stores in Deltona, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the first incident happened Tuesday at a Publix on Courtland Boulevard.
Marissa Barbuti told News 6 she was putting groceries in the trunk of her vehicle when a man, later identified as Anthony Vazquez, 22, pulled up next to her and told her not to speak.
"I turned around and it was a guy holding a gun to me, and he said, 'Don't say anything. Don't say anything.' And he just reached out of his car and just picked up my purse and took off with it," Barbuti said.
Deputies said a similar incident occurred around 1:15 p.m. at a Publix on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona.
Authorities canvassed the area for a blue car with no tag and found Vazquez near Elkcam and Providence boulevards, the report said.
When a deputy pulled Vazquez over, he fled from the traffic stop as the deputy was approaching the driver's side window, according to the affidavit.
Another deputy made contact with Vazquez when he hit a dead end at Orton Court, the report said. By that point, he had thrown the stolen purse out the window of his car in an attempt to hide the evidence, according to authorities.
The purse was recovered in a recycling bin at nearby home.
Vazquez is charged with armed robbery, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, two counts of grand theft and two counts of possession of stolen credit cards.