Groton police press additional charges against alleged purse-snatcher

Groton — Town police this afternoon added three additional charges to a 37-year-old man’s arrest after he allegedly snatched an elderly woman’s purse on Monday afternoon at a business on Route 12.

Police said Thomas W. Walders, of no known address, forcefully took the purse from a 75-year-old woman and ran off to a nearby motel at around 3:30 p.m.

When police tracked Walders down and arrested him, Walders attempted to fight off the officers and later assaulted them during the booking process, police said.

Walders initially was charged with third-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, breach of peace, assaulting an officer and interfering with a police officer. On Tuesday, police also charged him with second-degree assault of an elderly person, second-degree threatening and failure to submit to fingerprints.

Walders was held on a $250,000 bond and appeared Tuesday in New London Superior Court. Police said Walders also had six outstanding arrest warrants from several local police departments, totaling $285,000 in bonds for violation of probation and violations of protective orders.