A 24-year-old Aurora man who authorities believe was responsible for a string of purse snatchings throughout Kane County has been arrested after an incident in St. Charles.
Kane County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cornelius A. Cullins, of 14 N. Webster St., at about 11:50 a.m. Friday outside his residence.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy spotted Cullins’ car in the lot of a convenience store and saw a purse belonging to the victim of a robbery earlier that day in the 2000 block of Prairie Street in St. Charles. Cullins drove off north on Illinois Highway 47 before he could be taken into custody, according to reports.
Police said Cullins allegedly approached an 80-year-old Batavia woman in a parking lot while she was loading groceries into her car and grabbed her purse from the shopping cart.
St. Charles police charged Cullins with one felony count of theft.
The sheriff’s office charged Cullins with robbery stemming from an incident in Big Rock and with fleeing and eluding and reckless driving for allegedly speeding away from the deputy.
North Aurora police said they charged Cullins with robbery for allegedly snatching a purse from a convenience store counter last Wednesday. Montgomery and Elgin police each charged him with felony counts of robbery and aggravated battery.
Cullins also allegedly knocked a 70-year-old woman to the ground and stole her purse in Montgomery last Wednesday, police said.
Police said Cullins confessed to these crimes and others, and has been identified by victims. He is scheduled to appear May 2 and May 11 in Kane County Circuit Court.