JENSEN BEACH — Detectives arrested a woman accused of attacking and robbing an elderly woman outside a Jensen Beach restaurant Saturday afternoon, according to documents released Monday.

Kristen Beth Swift, 23, of the 2300 block of Northeast Indian River Drive, has been charged with robbery by sudden snatching and battery on a person over 65 years of age.

The incident took place in the 3400 block of Northwest U.S. 1 at 2:40 p.m., just after the 82-year-old woman had parked her car in a handicap space at Olive Garden. Swift pulled up behind the woman’s car and asked her for directions to Indian River Drive, the affidavit says.

According to a report, the woman approached Swift’s driver’s side window and was beginning to give her directions when Swift grabbed the woman and hit her in the head. She then snatched the woman’s purse and drove away.

A waiter at the restaurant saw the incident as it occurred and came to the woman’s assistance. He was able give deputies a description of Swift’s car, which led investigators to take Swift into custody at her home a few hours later.

After being questioned by detectives, Swift admitted to the robbery but said she did not hit the victim, the affidavit says.

Swift was additionally charged with open warrants for indirect criminal contempt and giving false information to a pawn broker.

She was being held in the Martin County Jail without bond.

By Zach Smith

Tags: arrest, battery, beach, bond, car, deputies, deputy, driver, driving, elderly, informant, jail, purse, restaurant, robbed, robbery, saw, warrant, woman

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 9:09 am and is filed under Courts, Crime, Jensen Beach, Martin County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.