shocked

Naperville woman, friend tangle with wrong 'victim'
Sharp-eyed, 88-year-old widow foils purse snatching
By Bill Bird
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STAFF WRITERST. CHARLES She was supposed to have been their "pigeon." She turned out to be more like an eagle-eyed raptor.
Despite suffering a fractured left knee and head bruises after being flung to the sidewalk, an 88-year-old woman managed to turn the tables on two purse snatchers, giving police a detailed description of her attackers and the license plate number of their getaway car.
That enabled police to arrest a man and a woman on felony charges of robbery and aggravated battery in the case, said Paul McCurtain, public information officer for the St. Charles Police Department.

Bond was set Tuesday at $50,000 for Alise L. Hockett, 20, of 7S428 Plainfield-Naperville Road in the unincorporated Green Acres neighborhood near Naperville's west side; and at $75,000 for Marcus A. Montgomery, 30, of 39W791 Dairy Herd Lane, St. Charles.
McCurtain said the trouble began at 10:22 a.m. Monday on the 300 block of Oak Street in St. Charles, just west of the city's downtown area. The victim, a widow from Geneva, had come to town for an appointment with a professional tax preparer, McCurtain said.
Hockett allegedly walked up to the woman and distracted her while Montgomery approached her unseen, McCurtain said. A scuffle ensued after Montgomery grabbed the victim's purse and she resisted him.

McCurtain said the woman was pushed to the ground with enough force that she fractured her left knee and sustained bruising to the left side of her head.
Hockett and Montgomery took the purse and fled in a vehicle as the victim lay on the sidewalk, McCurtain said. Despite her injuries, the woman "was able to provide police with a description of the offenders, as well as the license plate of (their) vehicle," he said.
An emergency radio broadcast concerning the crime was heard by Geneva police, who curbed the vehicle just after 11 a.m. near a strip mall, McCurtain said.

Montgomery and Hockett were taken to the St. Charles police station for questioning. The victim was released from Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva after undergoing treatment there for her injuries.

McCurtain praised the woman for remaining calm and alert during her ordeal, calling her "a very, very sharp witness."

Hockett and Montgomery are charged with robbery of a person over the age of 60, aggravated battery of a senior citizen and aggravated battery on a public way, all felonies. They are scheduled to be arraigned April 13 in Kane County Circuit Court in Yorkville.

Alise Hockett is a good friend of mine from highschool who actually attended my highschool small group. I think that God is moving through this situation though.