Alleged purse snatcher arrested

Published 12:00 am Monday, December 7, 2015

Robert Maurice Singletary, 24, was arrested Saturday in connection with two alleged purse snatchings.

According to the warrant, on Nov. 23 Singletary allegedly stole a pocketbook from a victim while she was shopping inside Big Lots at 711 E. Innes St. The Salisbury Police Department reported that Singletary allegedly pushed the victim’s shopping cart, grabbed her purse and ran out the front door of the store. The purse was a brown Calvin Klein pocketbook containing a wallet, personal checks, $200 in cash, a debit and credit card and other personal items.

On Nov. 29, Salisbury Police reported that Singletary allegedly grabbed the purse of an elderly shopper while she was walking to her car in the Big Lots parking lot. The victim reported that the purse was a yellow and green Vera Bradley purse containing a Samsung Galaxy cellphone, $140 in cash, a U.S. military ID, Macy’s and TJ Maxx credit cards and various personal papers and items. The estimated value was $1,100.

According to the warrant, on Nov. 30 Singletary allegedly made three attempts to retrieve funds from the second victim’s account using a State Employee’s Credit Union ATM. According to the warrant Singletary attempted to withdraw $460. On Nov. 30, Singletary also allegedly used the victim’s card to rent $5 worth of videos from a Red Box machine.

Singletary was arrested Dec. 5 and charged with larceny from person, common law robbery and obtaining property by false pretenses. He has previously been charged with felony breaking and entering, larceny, assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a female. Singletary was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $25,000 secured bond.