Woman has strong words for man who snatched her purse outside Publix

Mark Pheiffer, 27, accused of stabbing good Samaritan who tried to stop him

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A woman had strong words for the man she says snatched her purse outside a Publix in Fort Lauderdale this week and then stabbed a good Samaritan who was trying to stop him.

"Hell to you. Those are things you shouldn't be doing to an 85-year-old woman," Janis Mink said.

Mink told Local 10 News that she was loading her car Tuesday in the parking lot off Davie Boulevard and Southwest 35th Avenue when a man, identified by police as Mark Pheiffer, 27, grabbed her purse and ran.

"I saw my purse gone. You know, I don't run that fast anymore. I used to be pretty good," Mink said.

According to Mink, a good Samaritan appeared out of nowhere and started chasing Pheiffer.

Police said the man was stabbed multiple times by Pheiffer and had to receive seven stitches.

Mink said she never got the chance to thank him and is glad to hear that her hero is doing OK.

"Oh lordy, God bless you. You're such a great man and I thank you so much," Mink said.

Mink said she didn't have much money in her purse, maybe $15, but the robber did get away with her driver's license and Social Security card.

Pheiffer was found by police shortly after the incident.

He is being held at the Broward County Jail without bond on charges of robbery by sudden snatching and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

 


About the Author:

Jenise Fernandez joined the Local 10 News team in November 2014. She is thrilled to be back home reporting for the station she grew up watching. Jenise, who is from Miami and graduated from Florida International University, also interned at Local 10 while she was in college.