Pensacola man sentenced for stealing woman's purse outside convenience store

From staff reports | Pensacola News Journal

A 61-year-old Pensacola man has been sentenced to 13 years and five months in state prison for stealing the purse of a woman who was searching for change to give him.

Charles Bernard Fleming was sentenced last week after he pleaded no contest Oct. 1 to charges of burglary and robbery in connection to the case, according to a news release from State Attorney Bill Eddins.

Fleming tried to buy beer and cigarettes from a convenience store off of North New Warrington Road at about 1 a.m. Feb. 15, but his card was declined and he walked out of the store.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old woman entered the store and bought a soda. As she was getting back into her car, Fleming walked up and asked if she had any change. The woman said she did and grabbed her purse to find some money.

That's when Fleming reached into her car and struck the woman several times as he tried to take her purse, according to the news release. At one point, he forced his entire body into the woman's car.

The woman fought back, but Fleming was eventually able to take off with the purse, leaving the woman without her wallet, which contained her driver's license, credit cards, social security card and cash.

The next day, the purse was found in a backyard behind the store. All of the cards were thrown around in the yard and the cash was missing.

During the struggle, Fleming's hat fell off in the woman's car and was recovered by deputies. DNA from the hat tested positive for Fleming's DNA.

Store surveillance also captured the incident.

Fleming's prior criminal history includes eight burglaries, one robbery, three assaults, possession of controlled substances, three trafficking in stolen property charges, three grand thefts and two batteries, according to Eddins.

Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.