A woman was hit by a hammer-wielding robber at the corner of Pershing Crescent and Manton Street in Briarwood on March 5, 2014. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — A robber attacked a woman who was walking to the subway in Briarwood Wednesday morning, hitting her in the head with a silver hammer and making off with her purse, police said.

The 26-year-old victim was attacked at 7 a.m. close to her home at the corner of Pershing Crescent and Manton Street, only one block away from Queens Boulevard.

Police said that the mugger had come from behind and hit her in the back of the head with a silver hammer. He then grabbed her handbag, containing three credit cards, an iPhone and a MetroCard, and fled.

The victim suffered a bruise to the back of the head as well as her forehead and was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition, the NYPD said.

Residents said they were shocked to hear about the brazen robbery in their quiet neighborhood.

"Trying to rob someone is one thing, but he also hit her in the head," said Sunny Sangh, 24, who works at J&G Wireless store on Manton Street, near where the mugging occured. "That's really bad."

Tarsha, a longtime resident who did not want her last name to be used, called the attack "shocking."

"Never heard about anything like that in Briarwood," she said.

According to published reports, the victim is pregnant.

Police described the attacker as 5-feet-9 tall and weighing about 160 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).