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'I'm Bigger,' 70-Year-Old Says Of Chasing Off Mugger

News Channel 8 photo by WALLY PATANOW

Joann Starcher holds the box of crackers she bought at the Save-A-Lot on 5631 14th St. W. before the suspect attempted to rob her.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune
and RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

BRADENTON - A 70-year-old woman said she chased away a man trying to rob her Sunday after telling him to "go to hell in a hand basket."

After buying some crackers, Joann Starcher of Bradenton was walking to her car at the Save-A-Lot store on 5631 14th St. W. That's when Alberto Chelen Maroquin, 21, popped up between two vehicles, deputies said.

"Give me all your money," Maroquin said, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office news release.

Starcher replied, "You can go to hell in a hand basket."

Maroquin backed away as Starcher walked toward him, she said.

Then, she said, he held his pants up and ran.

Starcher followed him in her car and called 911. Deputies found Maroquin at 1416 55th Ave. W., where he was hiding behind a privacy fence, the sheriff's office said.

No one was hurt during the incident.

Maroquin, of 5100 14th St. W., Lot No. 72, Bradenton, was arrested on a charge of attempted robbery. He was taken to Manatee County Jail. Booking information was not immediately available.

Starcher said she's never been one to back away from a fight.

"If somebody does something like that to you and you're able to do something about it, you should do it," she said. "Maybe that's not the healthy thing to do or the safe thing to do."

She said she wasn't afraid of Maroquin beating her up.

"He couldn't have thrown me to the ground," she said. "I'm bigger than he is. And I have always been pretty active, and I'm pretty strong."

News Channel 8 reporter Yolanda Fernandez contributed to the report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at rreyes@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7920.

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