ROBBERY, CHASE CONNECTED

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- The Carolina Scoop has learned a purse snatching late Friday night and a high-speed chase Saturday morning are connected.

Friday night, a woman was leaving the Subway restaurant near Wal-Mart on North Generals Boulevard when a black male grabbed her pocketbook by force. A witness chased the Honda the suspect got into, but lost the vehicle on Wilma Sigmon Road.

Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, authorities had set-up a meeting with the suspect after he called the victim's family and demanded $1,000 according to a Lincolnton Police Department incident report. The suspect also threatened to burn the victim's house down if he didn't get the money.

As officers pulled in to apprehend the suspect, the Honda sped away from officers and went from East Main Street to Highway 321 North.

According to police, the vehicle traveled from the Lincolnton exit (24) to the Business Highway 321 exit (28) and went off the exit ramp at a high rate of speed.

As the car went across to the on ramp and off the road, the black male suspect took off on foot. The driver was apprehended at the scene but his name hasn't been released as the investigation is continuing.

Monday morning, the victim in the case was able to retrieve her pocketbook and her cell phone. Investigators so far haven't been able to locate anything else that was taken Friday night.

The victim -- whose name The Carolina Scoop will not release -- wasn't injured in the purse snatching.