Wednesday night, two women had their personal belongings stolen from a shopping cart while unloading items in the parking lot of a local retailer.

Picayune Police Department Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri said officers were called to the local retailer, located on Frontage Road in Picayune, that night just after 9:30 in reference to a strong-arm robbery.

Officers arrived to speak with the complainant, who said that while she and her mother-in-law were unloading groceries from the shopping cart into their vehicle, an unknown white male walked up and took her wallet and her mother-in-law’s purse from the front of the shopping cart, Magri said.

After taking the items, the suspect fled on foot to a nearby vehicle that was being driven by a second suspect. The complainant told officers that she chased the suspect to the vehicle in an attempt to retrieve the belongings, but as he got into the passenger side of the escape vehicle, he punched her in the face with a closed fist, Magri said.

The suspect vehicle then fled and was last seen heading east on Highway 43 South. Magri said that detectives continue to work the case by following up on leads and reviewing surveillance footage recovered from the retailer.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Picayune Police Department at 601-798-7411. Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 601-799-2583.