Strangers Step In After Broad-Daylight Purse Snatching In Woodbury, Long Island

WOODBURY, Long Island, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Strangers came to the rescue on Long Island this week, when they saw two women in need following a wild purse snatching.

As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported exclusively Thursday, Tony Metaras of Syosset now has road burn on his back, and his arm is in a sling. He jumped out of his red car when he heard two women screaming.

"I see two ladies chasing after this guy, and this guy is running with two purses in his hands," Metaras said.

The women were dining al fresco at Butera's Restaurant of Woodbury around 3:10 p.m. Wednesday, when their purses were snatched, witnesses said.

"The ladies were sitting at this table here, when he came in this direction and snatched purses off of the chairs, and then proceeded going that way running with the bags," said Butera's waitress Gina Mingione.

Hoping for a swift getaway, witnesses said the suspect with the pocketbooks appeared to commandeer the female driver of a black Cadillac sport-utility vehicle.

"With his left arm, he's holding onto the steering wheel as I'm pulling him out, and with his right arm, he hits the gas pedal," Metaras said. "And that's when he drags me four of five car lengths."

Others jumped into the fray, holding a suspect – identified as Anthony Grant, 24, of Inwood, Long Island – for police.

Grant was charged with grand larceny and reckless endangerment.

CBS2 has now learned that the female driver of the Cadillac who was thought to be a carjacking victim is actually Grant's girlfriend. She has not been charged as an accomplice.

CBS2's McLogan paid a visit to her Woodbury home. Her father, Jay Black – the former singer with the 1960s pop group Jay and the Americans – confirmed that his daughter, Samantha, is a friend of Grant's.

McLogan: "The cops interviewed Samantha?"

Black: "Yeah, the cops interviewed Samantha. They know that they didn't; they would have told me."

McLogan: "She's not the victim of a carjacking?"

Black: "No, she's not."

McLogan: "Was she implicated in the purse-snatching incident?"

Black: "What purse snatching?"

Police on Thursday said their investigation is not yet over. Meantime, merchants and patrons were praising Good Samaritans' reactions.

"It was amazing to see the community of Woodbury come together and stop something like that," said Christie Solomon, a Woodbury village merchant.

Grant pleaded not guilty, and his attorney said his girlfriend betrayed him.

The pocketbooks were recovered and returned.