A Joliet man was arrested after he was accused of robbing an elderly woman who was loading groceries into her vehicle outside Jewel-Osco on Jefferson Street.

At 4:24 p.m. Monday, officers responded to the incident at Jewel-Osco, 1401 W. Jefferson St.

Officers learned from the woman that the robber had initially approached her to ask if she needed assistance with the groceries, according to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

When the woman declined, the man attempted to take her purse.

“A struggle ensued, during which the suspect forcibly took the purse and pushed the victim to the ground. The victim attempted to intervene as the suspect entered his vehicle but was unsuccessful,” English said.

The man fled the scene but witnesses in the parking lot saw what happened and captured images of him as he left the area, English said.

A short time later, officers found the vehicle linked to the crime and conducted a traffic stop at the Phillips 66 gas station, 379 S. Chicago St., according to English.

The driver was identified as Shawn Miller, 41, Joliet, and he was identified as the suspect in the robbery, English said.

Miller was taken into custody on probable cause of aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.

The woman’s purse and its contents were later recovered from a garbage can near Western Avenue and Campbell Street, English said.

The woman declined medical assistance, he said.