CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A Chula Vista woman says an attempted purse snatching at her front door led to her being dragged into the street.
Around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday on Kelso Court, surveillance video shows a vehicle stopping in the middle of the cul-de-sac. A person appears to gets out on the passenger side and linger near the car.
At the same time and feet away, Shaun McMahon was in her car, parked in her driveway. When she got out of the car, she was carrying a bag, food items and her purse.
"When I got to my front door, I noticed in my right peripheral vision, a person was there," said McMahon.
Her cameras captured a still image of the moment. She says a lean, dark-haired man, possibly in his 20s, grabbed at her purse.
"Held down on my purse, but it swung around because he pulled so hard," said McMahon.
Everything else she was holding went flying, but she held fast to her purse.
"Dragging me towards my grass ... I hung on for dear life. I was yelling 'Let go!'" said McMahon. "It was instinct. I wasn't letting go. This was somebody violating me, stealing from me. I had to fight back."
McMahon says she was dragged some 75 feet - across her lawn and into the street - as she continued to scream. With the purse coming apart, the man finally let go, and jumped in the parked car, which then took off.
McMahon was left with a swollen ankle, a bruised back and a lot of questions. Among them: why was she targeted in an apparent drive-by purse snatching in front of her home? Police say this appears to be an isolated incident.
McMahon plans to buy a new camera system and pepper spray.
"I never thought I should be concerned walking into my home. Now I have a whole different perspective," said McMahon.
The suspect vehicle is described as a silver car, possibly a Honda CR-V.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at 888-580-8477.
