Woman injured chasing alleged purse snatcher outside bakery; suspect arrested

Woman injured chasing alleged purse snatcher

A 61-year-old woman was hospitalized after attempting to chase down a man who snatched her wallet outside an Orlando bakery last month, police said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 61-year-old woman was hospitalized after attempting to chase down a man who snatched her wallet outside an Orlando bakery last month, police said.

What we know:

On the morning of July 26, 61-year-old Teresa Gerena was sitting outside her regular Orlando bakery when a man snatched her wallet and fled. Gerena and others gave chase, and she was injured after being knocked down while trying to pursue the getaway vehicle. She was hospitalized for two days with a concussion, scrapes, and bruises.

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Police later identified and arrested 34-year-old Raza Munir as the suspect, using surveillance footage and vehicle registration. He was charged with petty theft.

Raza Munir was charged with petty theft.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear whether Munir will face additional charges beyond petty theft given the injuries Gerena sustained. Police have not confirmed whether any of the stolen money was recovered or if further investigation into Munir’s mental health history will impact his prosecution.

The backstory:

Gerena had just withdrawn $650 from the bank to pay bills before the theft. Her attacker, Munir, has a documented history of schizophrenia and has been arrested multiple times in Orange County, but he has no prior convictions. According to a previous arrest report, he does not consistently take his prescribed medication.

What they're saying:

Gerena spent two days in the hospital. A police report says she suffered a concussion. She also wound up with a bunch of scrapes and bruises, and says her shoulder still hurts a good deal, even over a week later.

"That time in the hospital was a nightmare," she said. "I was throwing up, I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t eat, it was horrible."

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Gerena’s family is shaken up too.

"Seeing the video footage was very, very hard," said Lexi Gerena, Teresa’s daughter. "To see your mother being dragged across a parking lot and just plop, you know what I mean? He just sped off, like didn't care how her condition was."

Gerena says she’s happy the suspect was caught this time.