A restaurant hostess was able to chase down and help catch a couple who stole a woman’s purse while she was celebrating Mother’s Day at a Bucktown restaurant, prosecutors said Sunday.A woman and her mother were celebrating at Irazu restaurant, 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave., about 7:50 p.m. Saturday when Darlene Henderson, 51, grabbed the woman’s black purse off the floor, according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Anna Sedelmaier and court documents. Carl Hurn, 53, who lives at the same address in the 3500 block of West North Avenue as Henderson, was arrested with her.
Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Henderson and Hurn each held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
A Mother’s Day card was on top of the purse and when Henderson took the purse, the card flew off, which caught the eye of the hostess, Sedelmaier said. Henderson and Hurn jumped into a cab and the victim and the hostess gave chase, flagged down police and stopped the cab, according to an arrest report.
The hostess opened the door of the taxi, saw the purse in the back seat, and Henderson and Hurn tried to get out of the cab, leaving the purse there, according to an arrest report. The hostess tried to hold Henderson and Hurn until police arrived and Henderson said, “... I’ll stab you,” and tried to hit the hostess with her right fist, according to an arrest report.
The purse was returned to the victim and she found $120 was missing, according to a report.
Hurn told arresting officers, “I thought I got lucky and I picked up the purse from the floor and the $120 in my pocket was inside the purse,” according to an arrest report. Officers found the money and returned it to the victim, Sedelmaier said.
Henderson was charged with theft and assault and Hurn was charged with theft, authorities said. Both are scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.
