LOWER EAST SIDE — Police arrested a robber who snuck up behind his 26-year-old victim over the weekend before snatching her handbag and fleeing, according to the NYPD.
Police said 48-year-old Victor Cordovoir approached the woman from behind at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 while she was walking eastbound on Rivington Street. He tried to snatch the woman’s brown clutch from her hand, but they struggled until she fell to the floor and he was able to grab it out of her hand, according to the NYPD and a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Cordovoir then ran southbound on Suffolk Street before turning on Delancey Street, removing his red shirt in an attempt to change his appearance, but was stopped by passersby, police said.
Police recovered the suspect’s shirt, as well as the woman’s purse, along with the iPhone, monthly Metrocard, debit and credit cards, cash and house keys inside, according to the NYPD.
Police said the woman refused medical attention while Cordovoir, who was injured while the civilians apprehended him, was treated at the station house and sent to a hospital for treatment.
Cordovoir was arraigned on Aug. 18, with bail set at $10,000 cash or bond, according to the district attorney’s office. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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