By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A Lutcher man was arrested Monday after dragging a woman with his car while stealing her purse outside a LaPlace store.

St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Spokesperson, Maj. Mike Tregre said James Wilson Jr., 41, 1635 2nd St., was charged with aggravated battery and simple robbery after struggling with a 45-year-old Edgard woman for her purse as she loaded her groceries in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Airline Monday evening.

According to the victim, whose name was not released, Wilson approached her and claimed something was wrong with his vehicle. She said at one point, Wilson came up behind her and tried to take her purse off her shoulder. She said she and Wilson wrestled over the purse, and Wilson attempted to drive off with her holding onto him and the steering wheel.

Tregre said the victim was dragged for a short distance before falling to the ground. He said she sustained minor injuries to her right knee, thigh and arm, but refused medical treatment at the scene.

Tregre said Wilson was found about 10 minutes later after the red Chevrolet Camaro he was driving was pulled over by an officer patrolling the New Era Subdivision area. The officer was responding to an all-points bulletin regarding Wilson and the vehicle.

The officer said Wilson confessed to the purse snatching immediately, and said he threw the purse from his vehicle before being stopped. The purse was recovered on the lawn of a residence in the subdivision and returned to the victim with all contents still present.

Tregre said Wilson confessed to detectives that the purse snatching was an attempt to get money to satisfy a drug habit. Wilson, who has a long history of arrests on drug-related charges, is being held without bond at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace.