A 50-year-old man has been sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison for snatching purses from several elderly women in the Arden area last summer.
Haywood Luster last month pleaded to three counts of robbery with an elder victim enhancement, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.
In summer 2012, Luster robbed seven women ranging in age from 76 to 93. He followed the women home from two grocery stores in the Arden area. When the women began taking groceries into their houses, he struck them from behind and stole their purses, authorities said.
None of the victims was able to identify Luster because the attacks came as a surprise and were quickly executed. During the last robbery, however, a neighbor witnessed the robbery and chased Luster back to his car.
After the neighbor provided a detailed description of the car, the Sacramento County sheriff's robbery detail searched the area for hours and found Luster in the car.
Although none of the victims was seriously injured, many have lost their sense of security and independence and no longer leave their homes alone, authorities said.
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