CROWN POINT | Prosecutors charged a Gary man Friday with robbery in connection with a purse snatching at a Hobart gas station .

On July 10, Dangelo Dickerson, 33, walked up to a 63-year-old woman who was pumping gas at the Speedway at 37th Avenue and Colbourne Street, court records show.

Dickerson asked the woman for directions before yanking away her purse, breaking the strap in the process, police reports state.

The suspect drove away in a Ford Explorer with Texas license plates, and a witness copied down the plate number, court records state. On Thursday, Gary Deputy Chief Thomas Branson saw the van and pulled over Dickerson, police said.

Hobart officers found the woman's purse, complete with broken strap, in the back seat of Dickerson's van, reports state.

Hobart Lt. Leo Finnerty said Dickerson admitted stealing the purse, saying he needed gas money.

Dickerson faces a maximum prison sentence of eight years if convicted.