Man who took woman’s purse, car at gunpoint flees after crash

A man reportedly robbed a woman of her purse and car at gunpoint Monday, then led police on a chase Tuesday — after they spotted the stolen vehicle — crashing it in the process, according to the Vancouver Police Department. No one was injured in either incident.

The suspect, who ran from the crash scene, was not immediately found, but police have identified him, Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. His identity was not released.

At about 6:45 a.m. Monday, a man with a bandana covering his face and armed with a pistol robbed a woman as she arrived at work in the 3300 block of East Fourth Plain Boulevard.

He took her purse and drove off in her orange 2009 Kia Rio, which has a “Herbalife” sticker on the rear window, Kapp said.

The suspect looked to be approximately 30 years old and stood about 5 feet 5 inches tall. He was described as being chubby and wore a dark jacket and dark pants, Kapp said.

Then, at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, a Vancouver police officer spotted the stolen vehicle in the area of Northeast Andresen Road and East 18th Street, being driven by a man matching the suspect description from the robbery, Kapp said.

The officer attempted to stop the car, but it sped off hitting another vehicle in the area of East Mill Plain and MacArthur boulevards, causing minor damage. The stolen vehicle was significantly damaged, and the air bags deployed. The suspect ran from the car and was not immediately located, Kapp said.