A 19-year-old boy wanted by police in Minnesota for an attempted robbery has been turned in by his own mother.
Authorities looking for a young man caught on surveillance video trying to rob an 81-year-old drug store customer didn’t have to go far: They say he was already in jail after being arrested in connection with a carjacking.
Charges filed in Ramsey County against Isaiah Jamal Foster of Richfield, say his mother turned him in after watching surveillance video of the woman getting knocked to the ground as she walked into a Walgreen’s store near St. Paul’s Como Park on Dec. 23.
Isaiah Jamal Foster, 18, was turned in by his own mother after she identified him as the suspect who mugged and injured an 81-year-old woman.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office said the woman suffered a concussion, a subdural hematoma, and a broken pelvis from the fall as the would-be robber pulled at her purse from behind, yanking her off her feet by the purse strap police say was wrapped around her wrist.
Foster’s mother told police she’d prayed about the incident, and was reluctant to turn her son in, but decided it was the right thing to do. She said she recognized the coat he was wearing in the store video, given to him by his grandmother. Police said the coat in the video also matched the one Foster was wearing when he was taken into custody in Minneapolis in connection with a St. Paul carjacking on Tuesday.
The elderly victim, Judy Stuthman, is said to be in stable condition following the attack, though her injuries were substantial enough that she was prevented from spending Christmas with her family.
In a separate Facebook post, St. Paul police discreetly expressed their gratitude to Foster’s mother.
“Thanks to you, our investigators were able to identify, locate and arrest the suspect in the attempted purse-snatching attack,” the department said.
“Thank you to everyone who shared his photo and the video. And an extra-special thank you to the person who called in the tip — your willingness to help is appreciated more than you’ll ever know,” it added.
In a statement, Ramsey County Attorney John Cho said, “The actions of this young person caused significant trauma and injury to an elderly resident and spread fear throughout our community. I want to thank investigators for their work on this case and the mother of the young offender for doing the right thing by turning her son into authorities.”
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: Taphaps, The Mercury News
