Butler police are seeking a robber who snatched a purse from a city woman as she walked Wednesday afternoon near the Emily Brittain Elementary School on North Washington Street.

The unknown suspect, described as a white man in his 20s, about 4:40 p.m. walked up to the 73-year-old, ripped the purse out of her arms and ran, according to a police report.

The man was wearing a hat, tan coat and blue jeans.

Police said the purse was recovered the next day in a yard near where the robbery occurred.

Two other purses, meanwhile, were stolen from vehicles in Butler earlier this week.

Police said Jen Cravenor was parked about 4 p.m. Wednesday in an alley near North Jackson Street and had momentarily left her unlocked truck. When she returned, her purse was gone.

About 2Z\x hours later, Cravenor called police to report that someone had found her purse.

Two days earlier, Christina Domitrovic's purse was stolen Monday night while she was inside an East North Street funeral home.

Domitrovic of Gibsonia had arrived at 8 p.m., and when she returned to her vehicle outside the funeral home, she discovered the passenger side window was smashed with a rock and the purse was missing.

The following afternoon, a North McKean Street resident called to report finding the empty purse in the home's yard.

Police remind residents to lock their vehicles, and not to leave purses or other valuables out in view. Such property, if left unattended in the vehicle, should be locked in the trunk.