Purse snatcher strikes in subway station

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A purse was snatched from a woman standing at a Lower Manhattan subway station, and authorities were looking into whether it was part of a pattern of similar attacks.

The 24-year-old victim was standing on the platform at Rector Street when the suspect grabbed her purse just before 10 a.m.

The force of the attack knocked the victim to the ground.

The suspect jumped from the platform onto the tracks and ran into the subway tunnel.

Although a large number of police descended on the station, no arrests were made.

The woman's purse was recovered, but an unknown amount of money was missing.

The woman was being treated for a scrape to her knee.

The attack comes on the heels of four similar purse snatchings last week in the East Village, Greenwich Village and NoHo. Those attacks were linked to the same suspect.

The incident and ensuing police investigation caused delays on Bay Ridge-bound R trains.

However, the NYPD never requested power be cut, according to the Transit Authority -- avoiding a controversy from last week where officers waited for power to be shut off to pursue their suspect on foot through the tunnel.

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