Suspected Purse Snatcher Arrested After Returning to Scene of Crime

A Larkspur man suspected of taking a woman’s purse from her cart while she was shopping in the Terra Linda Safeway store, was arrested yesterday after he returned to the scene of the crime, according to police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher. 

Around 11:00 a.m. May 10, Safeway management called to report that the suspect, 57-year-old Mark Allen Miller, was back in the store and waiting in line at the deli counter.

The day before, Miller, who lists his occupation as law enforcement, took the purse from the shopping cart, put it in the basket he was holding and walked away, while the woman was loading her groceries onto the conveyor belt at a checkout stand around noon, Rohrbacher said.

He then went to a restroom in front of the store and removed cash, an identification card and credit cards from the purse before dumping it in the trash,  according to Rohrbacher.

Miller was seen walking out of the store empty-handed, she said.
One of the victim's credit cards was used to buy gas in the area about an hour later, Rohrbacher said.

The San Rafael Police Department released a photo of Miller yesterday.
Miller was booked at Marin County Jail on felony charges of burglary, grand theft from a person, and use of a stolen credit card. His bail is set at $15,000.

Bay City News reports contributed to this article.