An attempted purse snatching was foiled by a woman in East Haven on Monday.

Officers received a 911 call at about 7:36 p.m. from the victim reporting that someone tried to steal her purse in the parking lot of ShopRite at 745 Foxon Road, according to the East Haven Police Department.

Police said the victim reported that a red or maroon Kia Sportage being driven by one of the suspects pulled alongside her as she was walking through the lot with a shopping cart. Surveillance footage showed the Kia had been circling the lot before approaching the victim, according to police.

The victim said a male wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt reached out of the Kia and tried to grab her purse from inside the shopping cart, police said. The driver of the Kia, a woman, tried driving off, but the purse had been secured by the victim to the cart using the child safety belt, according to police.

The shopping cart was dragged alongside the Kia briefly before the suspects abandoned the theft and left the area heading west on Route 80, police said.

“It should be noted that the complainant’s simple, yet effective, proactive measure in securing her pocketbook made all the difference in this incident,” East Haven police Capt. Joseph Murgo said in a statement.

The poor video quality of surveillance in the area made it impossible for investigators to obtain the suspect vehicle’s license plate information.

Police are investigating and asking anyone with information to contact the East Haven Police Department at (203) 468-3820.