By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Police authorities say they have linked a Salisbury man to two purse-snatchings and the theft of lawn equipment from a local business. Officers were involved in a short foot chase with the man and apprehended him.

Salisbury Police charged Bobby Joe Skidmore Jr., 30, of the 200 block of Morlan Park Road, with felony common law robbery; felony larceny; misdemeanor resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer; two counts of misdemeanor larceny; and one misdemeanor count of second-degree trespassing.

On Saturday, police responded to Food Lion, 525 W. Jake Alexander Blvd., when a man said he saw a woman in the parking lot involved in a scuffle in which her purse was stolen. The caller told police the woman screamed and fell to the ground during the struggle. The suspect took off with her purse in a silver Chevrolet Impala. The incident occurred about 9:30 p.m.

Police officers looked at surveillance video from the store and determined he was the same person involved in a purse-snatching at another grocery store earlier in the month. On May 15, police responded to Harris Teeter, 850 W. Jake Alexander Blvd., after a report of a woman who was shopping and had her purse in a shopping cart. She turned to retrieve something from a shelf, and a man grabbed the purse. The woman ran after him but did not catch up to him. The white man got into a silver Chevrolet Impala.

Store surveillance video showed the encounter, and police obtained images of the suspect. The woman’s purse was found in the parking lot at Zion Hills Apartment complex with everything in it except her money.

Police said the man is also responsible for a larceny at True Value Hardware on May 15, when he picked up a Stihl weed trimmer and appeared to be heading to the register to purchase it but left the store instead.

Several police officers were able to identify Skidmore and confirmed his identity in surveillance video. Officers served arrest warrants on Skidmore on Sunday, and he took off running. Police caught him a few moments later. Skidmore, also known as Joey Skidmore, remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $25,000 secured bond.