WICKER PARK — A purse snatcher remains in Cook County Jail facing a felony charge of robbery after he allegedly struck and robbed a 31-year-old woman on the 1800 block of N. Paulina St.
Police found Tony Cooley, 46, hiding under a porch a few blocks away.
Cooley was arrested by Shakespeare District cops around 9 p.m. Friday just two blocks south of where the incident took place.
Discovered hiding under a porch on the 1600 block of North Paulina Street, Cooley was in possession of the victim's purse containing $59 in cash, police said.
"The 1600 block of North Paulina is a much safer place due to the efforts of Officer David Alcazar," said one district sergeant.
According to Officer Veejay Zala, a police spokesman, Cooley struck the victim on the upper lip before fleeing from the scene.
Cooley, of the 1700 block of S. Albany Ave., appeared before Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois, Jr. Sunday and was ordered held on a $50,000 bond.
Cooley will appear in court Friday to face a felony charge of robbery.
Erin Meyer contributed to this report.