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Arrests Made After Woman Is Attacked, Robbed In NH Supermarket

PORTSMOUTH, NH (CBS) - A man and woman have been arrested for allegedly attacking a shopper and stealing her purse.

Purse snatch
Julia Marie Konchek and Kyle Roy

It happened at the Market Basket supermarket on Woodbury Street Tuesday afternoon.

WBZ-TV obtained surveillance video of the pair entering the store, attacking the woman, and then leaving.

The video shows a female shopper next to some produce, opening up a freezer door. The female suspect walks by and grabs her purse from her arm.

The two women ended up scuffling on the floor, and the contents of the purse scattered.

The male accomplice then grabbed the wallet.

Police say they arrested 21-year-old Julia Marie Konchek of Portsmouth and 25-year-old Kyle Roy of Gardner, Massachusetts.

"It was desperate," said Sgt. John Peracchi of the Portsmouth Police Department.

What made the crime different from the typical purse snatching is that it happened inside the store rather than in the parking lot.

Police say they received tips after video of the incident appeared on the news.

The pair spent about 15 minutes inside the store. Police say they were looking for a victim.

The video shows the female suspect at one point spending a lot of time behind an elderly woman in a blue top. Police think the suspect may have wanted her purse but there were too many shoppers walking by.

The victim is in her 40′s and was visiting from Florida. She was not hurt.

Konchek and Roy have been charged with robbery and are being held on cash bail. They will be arraigned on Thursday.

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