Woman dies after being run over during purse snatching in Garden Grove; 3 in custody after pursuit: Police

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- (KTLA) -- Three people are in custody after allegedly running over a woman while trying to take her purse in Garden Grove, then leading law enforcement on a pursuit on Wednesday morning, police said.

The woman, a 32-year-old Westminster resident, suffered traumatic injuries and died hours after being taken to a hospital, Garden Grove police said in a news release.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's task force was surveilling a group of suspected of robbers when the purse snatching took place in the parking lot of a shopping center on Brookhurst Street near Westminster Avenue.

The woman was with family members when she was suddenly attacked around 9:45 a.m., according to Garden Grove Lt. Carl Whitney.

“The suspects got out of the vehicle, attacked the female, tried to take her purse," Whitney said. "During the struggle with the purse, she got run over by their vehicle."

Surveillance video of the incident shows a man dressed in black chasing the victim down, then throwing her down on the sidewalk outside a massage parlor and karaoke bar. The assailant, who appears to be wearing a mask, then drags the woman across the parking lot's pavement as he rips the bag from her arm.

The victim tries to retrieve her purse as the suspects get into a silver SUV, but the vehicle ends up running her over and dragging her at least 50 feet.