Victoria Lansing is described by the KTVK-TV as a “church-going, semi-retired bookkeeper and artist.” You might not expect to add “not someone to mess with” to the 71-year-old Phoenix woman’s list of attributes, but given that she recently put up a fight to someone targeting her for purse theft, she deserves the title.

71 Year Old Victoria Lansing Fought Purse Snatcher and Won

Victoria Lansing (Image: KTVK video screenshot)

KTVK reported the incident happened on a September Sunday morning in a Fry’s grocery store parking lot. The surveillance footage of the scene shows a struggle over the purse between the attacker and Lansing. Lansing fell on the pavement, her purse still in hand: she won.

71 Year Old Victoria Lansing Fought Purse Snatcher and Won

You can see the struggle beginning to the left in this image. (Image: KTVK video screenshot)

71 Year Old Victoria Lansing Fought Purse Snatcher and Won

(Image: KTVK video screenshot)

“I’m a farm girl,” she said, according to KTVK.

Watch the report with surveillance footage:


In the video, Lansing said “too many people just don’t put up a fight or don’t do anything.”

Lansing said she thinks the snatcher was surprised that she didn’t give in.

“All I was concerned about was you don’t get that purse,” she said.

Lansing did sustain some scratches and bruises from the attack. She said that she feels pretty good about herself for winning, but acknowledges that it could have been a lot worse.

This isn’t the first incident of grocery store purse snatchings we’ve heard of recently. A Florida woman was dragged through a parking lot by her purse  and a similar incident happened when a Georgia woman clung to her bag.

(H/T: Yahoo! News)