The 91-year-old Holocaust survivor who fought off a would-be purse snatcher at a senior center in Greenwich Village two months ago says her "inner lioness" came out when the woman attacked her.
"I was not going to let her steal my pocketbook," Gina Zuckerman said.
Zuckerman was headed to the senior center, where she went frequently to read, drink coffee and relax with company, in September when Lilian Muduro allegedly sneaked up from behind and tried to snatch her purse off a cart.
Zuckerman tried to fend her off and Muduro knocked the elderly woman to the ground, but Zuckerman wouldn't let go of the bag.
Zuckerman needed five stitches to her right arm after the attack -- and the woman who allegedly assaulted her remained on the loose until this week.
Muduro, 49, was arrested Monday on charges of robbery and assault.
NBC 4 New York was first to tell Zuckerman of the arrest.
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"I feel grand and I feel so big and so good today," she said. "Today you made my day."
Despite her evident emotional strength, Zuckerman fears she could be targeted again.
"I have not been myself since," she said.
It wasn't immediately clear if Muduro had an attorney who could comment on the allegations against her.
