Deltona Purse Thief Caught Minutes After Striking Another Publix Parking Lot

Date Added: August 21, 2017 5:28 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

DELTONA PURSE THIEF CAUGHT MINUTES AFTER STRIKING ANOTHER PUBLIX PARKING LOT

A suspect in last week’s armed purse-snatching in the parking lot of a Deltona Publix was arrested this afternoon when a deputy spotted him after he stole a purse from another shopper in another Publix parking lot.

Anthony Vazquez, 22 (DOB 4/11/1995), fled the Publix at 2783 Elkcam Blvd. around 1:15 p.m. after stealing a purse from a grocery cart. Deputies immediately started looking for the suspect vehicle – described as a blue car with no tag – and a deputy spotted it going through the intersection of Elkcam and Providence boulevards.

Vazquez fled from an attempted traffic stop and sped out of sight but was arrested around 1:30 p.m. by other deputies in the area.

The stolen purse from today’s theft was recovered from a driveway along Vazquez’s route, where the suspect tossed it into a recycle bin as he fled.

Vazquez was positively identified by both victims whose purses he stole.

The first case occurred around 12:35 p.m. last Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the Publix at 605 Courtland Blvd. The victim there told deputies she was loading her groceries into her vehicle when a vehicle pulled up beside her, and the driver pointed a gun at her and grabbed her purse from her shopping cart. The victim of today’s purse theft did not report seeing any weapon. Neither victim was injured.

Vazquez is charged with armed robbery, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, two counts of grand theft and two counts of possession of stolen credit cards.