A St Francis Bay woman had her handbag snatched in broad daylight outside her Santareme property on Thursday 12 September.
In the scuffle she fell and hurt herself, fortunately not seriously. The woman, Kathy Fuchter-Wood, shaken and bruised from her ordeal, warns everyone in St Francis to be more vigilant.
She recounts that at about 3 pm she returned home after shopping and while parking the car in the garage she noticed two young men walking along Esmaralda Road and greeted them. She took out the shopping bags and shut the garage door before starting up the brick steps towards the gate. Her handbag was over her shoulder and the shopping bags were in her hands.
A man ran up behind her and grabbed her handbag, pulling her down the steps. She dropped the bags and fell down but kept holding onto the handbag. The straps were pulled out of the leather bag.
She screamed and shouted and then realised the garage remote was in her hand. She pressed the red button.
Neighbour Warren Mudamaa came out wearing earphones to take his dog for a walk. He took her into his home for care. Calibre and the SAP arrived about 10 -15 minutes later.
Other SAP officers arrived later to get the details, then at about 4.30p m the SAP returned and asked Kathy to identify her strapless handbag and contents. The handbag was found near Harbour Road.
Her Blackberry cell was found on another man who was taken into custody. He had taken out the simcard but still had it on him. The SAP asked Kathy for her code which worked.
Kathy checked her bag and found that her purse had gone and her car keys but the credit cards were there. Her car keys were fortunately found later by some neighbours.
Speaking yesterday about the ordeal, Kathy says her right replaced knee is heavily swollen, her right elbow grazed and bruised as are her ribs. “But I am fine,” she added.
She recounts that unfortunately, her beloved rottie, Tara, was in the house so could afford her protection at the time of the incident. “But I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the prompt attention I received from both Calibre and the police. I am very grateful to Glenda, Warren and Pippa Swart who arrived with her medical expertise to clean cuts and grazes through thick denim. Bob Meikle was also on hand to replace her front door lock.
“We all enjoy our village and are very fortunate to live here, but we should constantly be more aware of our surroundings/ Sadly we cannot trust casual strollers. I believe we should be told more about what is happening security-wise so that we can be more aware and safer.”
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St Francis Chronicle 
Yes, welldone SAPolice for their prompt action, and follow up investigation that took place thereafter. One must always be vigilant of one’s surrondings, and watch your back like the Americans say. I have a tip for the ladies regarding their handbags. Do not just carry it over one shoulder, but do so across ones body using the straps in this way. Much more safer, and lessens the chance of the bag being snatched from behind and from the front while walking. If one is in danger or being attacked hook into your key ring with your other house and car keys a whistle, which one can also have on a chain around ones neck. The attacker is more likely to take fright and run away, once you start blowing it. Also one can carry in a cylinder shaped device a ”Pepper Spray Gun”, the gas once released will blind the attacker giving one time to get s away and raise the alarm. My friend Ben Small here in Cape Town and who is also on ”facebook” with crime prevention hints on a daily basis. Information on crime incidents nationaly are circulated daily. He was the first in Cape Town to pick information regarding the ”Great Fire of Cape St. Francis” a year ago and circulated to us to take the necessary emergency action.