Off-duty New York police officer helps capture suspected purse thief

An off-duty police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chased and caught a purse snatcher in Allston Tuesday, police said.

Boston police received a report at about 8:17 a.m. of a robbery in progress in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and Linden Street. Officers were directed to a parking lot off Commonwealth Avenue, where a male suspect, later identified as Joseph Mrozinski of Boston, was being held by an off-duty Port Authority officer and another male witness, police said.

When approaching the lot, police heard the suspect screaming, “Let me go, get off me.”

The victim told officers she was sitting outside with the male witness when Mrozinski allegedly grabbed her purse and ran down the alley into the rear parking lot.

The witness began pursuing Mrozinksi, as did the Port Authority officer, who was exiting a nearby restaurant at the time, police said. The victim’s purse was recovered, police said.

Mrozinksi was arraigned in Brighton Municipal Court earlier this week, police said.