Scranton Police said two men used an ATV for drive-by robberies, not even stopping to slow down when they snatched purses from two women in the city.
Police believe the two men committed two robberies about 45 minutes apart on Sunday night. One on Return Avenue in Scranton's north end and another miles away in west Scranton. Police believe they used ATV trails to get from one place to another where they robbed two women of their purses while the thieves were driving.
She didn't want to be identified but the robbery victim told Newswatch 16 about her trip back from the store Sunday night. She was only two houses away from hers in north Scranton and there were loud cars on the road. So she didn't hear the all terrain vehicle approaching behind her.
"Two kids on a small quad drove up on me and they were going 70 miles an hour and snatched my whole hand bag out of my arm full force," she said.
The robbery victim said the two young men, maybe juveniles, sped away without her getting a good look at their faces and headed toward the entrance to an ATV trail nearby on Bundy Street.
After she called police, the victim then followed the robber's path. About 200 yards down the ATV trail she found her purse with everything but her cash inside along with some of the clothes she said the robbers were wearing.
Police believe that is where they ended their crime spree Sunday night.
Police believe the robbers used the ATV trail to get to North Main Avenue in west Scranton about 45 minutes earlier on Sunday night.
A 16-year-old girl was robbed the exact same way. The girl told police that a red ATV came up from behind her, the passenger grabbed her purse off her shoulder, and the pair kept going down North Main Avenue.
Then, police believe, they headed to the city's north end and stole from the other victim. She said she is happy she has most of her belongings back but her sense of security is shaken.
"It's still just the fact that anyone could just drive up alongside of you while you're walking home at night and just snatch your belongings right off of you. They didn't even care if I got knocked over, they just slammed right into me with the handlebars," she added.
Scranton Police said they haven't received any other reports of purse snatching since Sunday night, but they're looking for that red ATV.