MERRILLVILLE | Police said they are investigating the strong-arm robbery of a 66-year-old Merrillville woman Thursday evening.

Merrillville police Operations Cmdr. Lance Huish said the woman had just left the Pay Low grocery store, 6001 Broadway, and was crossing Broadway with a 7-year-old girl when a man got out of the passenger's side of a vehicle, pushed her down and stole her purse.

"He body-slammed her," Huish said. "He knocked her to the ground and ran."

The purse contained credit cards, a cellular phone and $12 in cash, police said.

The man fled in the vehicle, which was being driven by a woman, police said. Descriptions of the man, the woman and the vehicle were not available. No weapons were displayed during the incident.

The woman sustained minor injuries, including bruising, Huish said. It is unclear whether she needed to seek medical treatment.

This is the second time in a week that elderly women have been the targets of crime in Merrillville, police said.

On Tuesday, two women in their 70s were attacked and robbed near their homes after they had been grocery shopping, police said. In that attack, the women were near their homes at 84th Avenue and Ellsworth Place when they were approached by two men. The men threw one of the women to the ground and threatened the other with a gun, police said.

Huish said it was unclear whether the two incidents were related.