Man receives 20 years for attempted purse snatching

Sponsor

A Hope, Ark., man was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison for attempting to steal a woman’s purse from her shopping cart last year in the parking lot of a Texarkana store.

Martez Marquis Carrigan, 20, pleaded guilty to robbery after Assistant District Attorney Randle Smolarz agreed to reduce the charge from aggravated robbery. As part of his plea agreement, Carrigan agreed to a 20-year prison term. The case was scheduled for trial this week in Bowie County and if found guilty of aggravated robbery, Carrigan faced the possibility of life in prison.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Carrigan and a friend were dropped off at Sam’s on Richmond Road in Texarkana, Texas, late on the afternoon of Jan. 9. At about 5:15 p.m., a woman who’d stopped at the store after work was transferring items from her cart to her car when a man ran by and attempted to grab her purse out of the buggy but missed it.

“She advised that the suspect told her, ‘I’ll shoot the sh– out of you,’ while he showed her the handgrip of a pistol in his waistband as they both struggled over the purse,'” the probable cause affidavit states.

The man ran behind the store.

Using video surveillance at the store, Texarkana, Texas, Police Department investigators were able to create several images of the man wearing a black hoodie, shorts and baby blue shoes. A member of the public recognized the photos posted on the police department’s Facebook page as Carrigan.

Carrigan is being held in the Bowie County jail until he is transported to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Previous articleGirl Scouts – Diamonds requests American flags for retirement
Next articleAHS Razorback TV named one of seven Regional Winners in Broadcast Excellence