A 15-year-old charged with aggravated assault and theft of a purse pled guilty to those and a number of other property crimes in Yorkton Provincial Court last week.

On July 3, an 80-year-old woman was leaving Parkland Mall when a young man tried to grab her purse. When she tried to hang on, he pushed her to the ground causing serious injury. She was rushed to hospital.

It was originally reported police were looking for an aboriginal man in his 20s based on the description from the victim. Other witnesses pointed the RCMP in the right direction.

“Through our investigation, people told us who it was and steered [the investigation] that way,” said Cst. Aaron Gullacher, the arresting officer and a spokesperson for the local detachment.

The youth, who cannot be named under the Youth Justice Administration Act, was already a suspect in up to 20 files including theft, mischief, break and enter, as well as, drug offences. On August 27, he was convicted on several counts including the aggravated assault and purse theft, while several others were withdrawn in the plea bargain.

In certain cases such as aggravated assault, a young offender can be charged as an adult as many observers of this case desired.

“[The crown] contemplated it, but ended up not going that way,” Gullacher said.

The youth will be sentenced on October 16 at Yorkton.