Ferndale PD: Bicycle bandits snag purse

Ferndale police are looking for two men whole stole a purse from a woman and then sped off on bicycles.

The woman was walking home early Sunday morning when it happened. The two criminals crept up to the woman, told her they had a gun, and then pedaled away on their Huffy's after she handed it over.

Dash cam video shows Ferndale police, minutes after the robbery, hot on the trail of two purse-snatching bicyclists. Ferndale Police Lt. William Wilson said this is not a common currence in the city.

"Regular street robberies like this are still very rare in Ferndale, so it's unusual that we had this type of crime at all," Wilson said.

The two suspects, black men in their early 20's approached the woman as she was walking home on university east of Woodward around 3:00 Sunday morning.

One of the men told her he had a gun, and he would shoot her if she didn't hand over the purse.

"Officers began looking for these guys, and one of our officers found them on bicycles pedaling south on Woodward in the state fair area," Wilson said.

Minutes later, Officers in one cruiser try stop to the men, but they kept pedaling, and then split up in different directions. The officers follow the one carrying the stolen purse.

"Knocked him off his bicycle, then the suspect ran on foot, jumped into the cemetery, our officers went and did a search through the cemetery but were unable to find him," Wilson said.

The purse, however, was found and polive have returned it to it's owner.

The suspect with the purse is described as about 5'8", with a thin build and distinctive receding hairline. Police are are working on collecting DNA from the shoes, he left behind.

If you know anything about either suspect, you're asked to call Ferndale police.