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Suspect at large after stabbing Kroger shopper during purse snatching on Alexis Rd.

A security guard shopping at Kroger was stabbed 3 times by a suspect who attempted to steal a purse from the Kroger on Alexis.

TOLEDO, Ohio — A stabbing at a west Toledo Kroger store hospitalized a man on Monday night, after a suspect who attempted to steal a purse stabbed the victim three times while fleeing.

The suspect is still at large.

Toledo police dispatch confirmed that the stabbing took place Monday evening around 9 p.m. 

The suspect attempted to steal a purse from a woman at the Kroger on Alexis. While fleeing, the suspect stabbed an off-duty security guard three times in the thigh while the guard, who had been shopping, was restraining him.

The security guard, later identified as 34-year-old John Settles of Bedford Township, was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Settles says he works for North Star Patrol, Inc., a security guard service in Toledo. He says he is licensed and carries a CPL. 

He says it was a natural reaction to go after the thief.

"You're gonna get hurt any time, any day. It's not gonna make a difference how much you try to prepare for it. Even professionals make mistakes. All in all, at the end of the day, she got her purse back. They got footage and they got DNA so he's gonna get caught sooner or later," Settles said. 

He hopes customers will be more aware of their surroundings.

Settles said the man was wearing dark blue sweatpants, a hooded sweatshirt and a blue jacket. He also believes he was between 5'8 and 5'11 tall and 140-150 lbs.

If you have any information, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

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