Neighbors Foil Clean Getaway After Theft of Purse

The open front door of Bounyong Chounramany’s home in Buena Park was an invitation to the thief, who paused, looked around and entered. Just inside the door, he grabbed a purse and quietly left. He was carrying a long knife.

It would have been an otherwise routine theft, one of thousands already on police records this year.

But as the thief left the home in the 7900 block of Adams Way on Friday night, neighbors thought he looked suspicious. About half a dozen of them began following him. They wanted to know what the man had under his shirt, which was bulging suspiciously.

They tagged after him as he walked down Grand Avenue to Crescent Avenue, where, to their amazement, he forced his way into the back of a Cadillac and held a 13-inch carving knife to the neck of the driver, a 37-year-old Stanton woman.

Wanted to Ride

She had been parked at the curb waiting for her children, who were making a call in a telephone booth.

The man wanted the woman to drive away. Instead, she screamed. So the thief, still carrying the purse under his shirt, ran away. It would not be the last time that the woman would see him. Now the neighbors started chasing the thief.

He circled around and returned to the same car, this time jumping in the front seat and again threatening the woman with the knife. He forced the car in gear and it stalled. He bolted from the car again with the neighbors in pursuit. He headed back to Adams Way, managing to ditch the throng of people that had plagued his getaway.

Other neighbors had phoned the Buena Park police, and officers were out looking for him. They spotted the man climbing over a wall toward the Farm De Ville Motel at 7800 Crescent Ave.

Held on $50,000 Bail

The suspect, identified as Jose L. Sanchez-Andreda, 21, of Los Angeles was taken into custody in the parking lot of the motel. He did not resist arrest.

Police said Sanchez-Andreda was held on $50,000 bail at Orange County Jail on charges of suspicion of robbery, attempted kidnap and assault with a deadly weapon.