Purse-snatcher throws woman to ground in San Fernando

LOS ANGELES - It happened in a matter of seconds, a vicious attack in broad daylight captured on security camera. 

"I couldn't process what was going on," Juliana Murillo said. 

The San Fernando Valley resident had flowers, a gift and coffee for her mom. They were about to celebrate Mom's birthday when suddenly Juliana was shoved to the ground by a stranger who wanted her purse. 

"I couldn't process what was going on; my body just went into shock. I kept saying what are you doing? What are you doing?" she said.

Struggling to hold back her tears, Juliana's sister Maria Murillo says, "I honestly believe the flowers helped by getting in the way of her hitting the gate harder." 

Lt. Walter Dominguez of the San Fernando Police Department says the robbery happened on Monday, April 15th, at 2:51 pm in the 200 block of Park Avenue. He says Juliana did the right thing by letting go of her purse. 

"Don't fight for the property; it's replaceable. Your life is not replaceable. My advice is don't fight for it, let it go," Lt. Dominguez said. 

The Murillo sisters say they're going public to raise awareness. 

"Always be aware of your surroundings; that is the biggest message we would want to get across," Maria said.

The suspect's description is quite vague: a male in his 30s. He fled the scene in a vehicle, and the police were using license plate technology to try to identify him. If you know anything about this case, contact the San Fernando Police Department.