70-year-old woman leaving bible class injured in drive-by robbery; police searching for 'ex-con' suspect

A 70-year-old woman was robbed as she was leaving bible study by a thief who drove by her in the parking lot, police said.

The unidentified woman was leaving the Lebanon Church of Christ in Nashville Tuesday when the suspect -- identified by police as 48-year-old Gilbert D. Ostring, Jr. -- allegedly drove up next to her in his silver Dodge 1500 pickup truck and asked her if she knew where any nearby shelters were located, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a press release.

Surveillance video shows the silver truck pulling up to the woman, who then approaches the driver's side window. The two talk for several seconds before the driver is seen appearing to snatch her purse from her left arm.

The woman maintains her grip on the handbag until the suspect drives away. The force sends her to the ground face-first, and several contents of her purse are seen flying out, the video shows.

The woman "hit the asphalt hard," police said, adding that she broke her right hand and suffered injuries to her face.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Ostring and are trying to locate him. They described him as an "ex-con" who has been convicted on multiple charges in at least three other Tennessee counties for theft, forgery, identity theft, fraudulent use of credit cards and reckless aggravated assault, according to authorities.

Ostring was released from a state prison in June 2017, police said.