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Group comes together to stop thief in Racine Piggly Wiggly parking lot

Posted at 10:14 PM, Aug 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-25 09:32:42-04

Customers turned into crime fighters after police said they witnessed a purse snatching in a Racine grocery store parking lot, and the aftermath was all caught on cell phone video.

"You shouldn't have done that to the old lady, lady," said Mykicia Lovelace while videoing a confrontation in the parking lot.

Police were called there for robbery Wednesday, and they said Lacy Lanciloti approached a 90-year-old woman putting groceries in her trunk. She asked the victim if she needed help.

The woman turned Lanciloti down saying, "she needed the exercise."

That's when Lanciloti hugged her, took her purse off her arm and ran.

Police said a witness saw it, ran down Lanciloti and then held her car door open to retrieve the victim's purse. Someone else opened the passenger door, took her keys from the ignition and held them while others prevented Lanciloti from leaving.

In the video you hear Lanciloti repeated yell, "Give me my keys."

Shoppers at the Piggly Wiggly applauded their effort.

"Wonderful. It's about time the citizen step up and help the elderly out because those folks are the most vulnerable," said shopper Gary Hopkins.

"Here in Racine county we usually look out for each other. And that was a wonderful thing for them Good Samaritans to do," said shopper Sylvester Johnson.

Police said they stopped her from leaving.

"You ain't getting your keys, you are going to jail tonight," Lovelace said.

Lanciloti was also charged with retail theft for taking a bottle of wine from the Piggly Wiggly before the robbery.