Towel used to incriminate Manatee robbery suspect | News

BRADENTON, Florida (AP) - A towel used by a robbery suspect to cover his head gave Manatee County Sheriff's investigators the clue they needed to find him.

Deputies say 36-year-old Terrence Jackson tried to snatch a customer's purse at a convenience store last May. He dragged the victim a short distance because she wouldn't let go of the purse. He finally pulled the purse from her grip and ran out the door. The woman's son ran after him and tried to get the purse back. But the suspect pulled a gun and fled.

The Bradenton Herald reports detectives sent the towel the suspect left behind to a DNA lab for testing. They entered the results in a national database and came up with a match for Jackson. He was arrested Monday in Bradenton.

The newspaper cites an arrest report in which Jackson admitted stealing the purse.