Tampa family sees purse snatcher on news, turns in teenage suspect

TAMPA — Police say a teenage purse snatcher was turned in Friday night by his father after his grandmother spotted him in surveillance footage on the evening news.

Khiry Tyron Williams, 15, of 6409 N 41st St. admitted riding a bicycle behind 62-year-old Nancy Houston Wednesday and snatching her purse, according to Tampa police.

She was walking in the 4900 block of E Busch Blvd. and was able to describe what her robber was wearing, police said.

Investigators used that description to find surveillance of Williams in a local business minutes before the crime, a news release stated.

But it wasn't until his grandmother saw his image on the news and called his mother and father that police were able to a put a name with the face.

His father turned him into the District 2 office at 8 p.m. Friday, police said.

Two similar purse snatchings have occurred in the same area this year, but Williams denied being involved in those.

Anyone with information about these purse snatchings can call Tampa police at (813) 231-6130 or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-843-8477.