Man dragged 89-year-old former KC councilwoman during purse robbery: Police
A Kansas City man charged with robbing 89-year-old former Kansas City Councilwoman Joanne Collins last month allegedly dragged her on the ground as he stole her purse and left her with several injuries, according to court documents.
The purse, $120 in cash, a wallet, bank cards and a phone were stolen during the incident, and Collins suffered a broken shoulder, broken ribs and fingers and soreness to her recently replaced hip, police said.
The man accused of the March 24 robbery, Zachary Locke, 42, was arrested at a library location Sunday, and prosecutors charged him with a count of first-degree robbery in Jackson County Circuit Court Monday.
Locke told police he was hungry and used money from the purse to buy food, according to court documents.
“My office will never tolerate criminal behavior, especially when it targets our most vulnerable,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a statement Monday.
“This defendant is accused of victimizing an elder and public servant in our community, resulting in severe injuries. As a result, the defendant could face anywhere between 10 to 30 years in prison. Every person in our community deserves to step outside without fear, especially our elders who have given us so much of themselves. We will continue working with law enforcement to protect our seniors and hold offenders accountable who threaten their safety.”
Afternoon robbery
Police were called to the area of West 12th Street and Central Street, near the Kansas City Convention Center, around 4:30 p.m. March 24 for a robbery, and found the victim lying on the sidewalk. Collins said she had been walking when she felt a tug on her purse from behind. She and the suspect struggled over the bag, according to court documents.
She fell down from the force of the man pulling on the purse and was dragged on the ground until it came free from her grasp, she said.
She was then taken to an area hospital with several injuries.
Police found her purse, cards and phone a short distance from the scene of the robbery and eventually linked Locke to the incident using tattoos, shoes and bags that could be seen on surveillance footage, a detective wrote in court documents.
Locke was arrested Sunday and allegedly acknowledged he robbed the woman.
“Locke stated he knew why he was arrested, started crying and said, ‘I hurt somebody,’” the detective wrote. “Locke was asked who he hurt and he said, ‘An elderly woman. I took her purse.’”
He allegedly described the location where the incident took place and said he had been having a psychotic episode and was hungry. He said he took $60 from the purse and bought food at a Dollar General.
This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM.
