Southampton County deputies are searching for a man who grabbed an elderly woman’s purse and jumped into a moving car, dragging the woman behind the car as she clung to the pocketbook.

The 86-year-old woman was taken to a hospital, treated and released, according to a press release issued by the Southampton County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators said the woman was leaving Dairy Queen on Southampton Parkway at about 4 p.m. Wednesday when a man grabbed her purse and jumped into a waiting vehicle.

“The woman was unable to immediately release the purse and was dragged by the fleeing vehicle for a short distance,” Detective Cpl. Richard Morris, Southampton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said in the press release.

The purse-snatcher is described as a man in his late 20s, between 5 feet 4 inches tall and 5 feet 6 inches tall with a small stature. He was wearing a white shirt, navy jacket and black pants. The driver of the getaway car — a white 1994 Pontiac Bonneville, bearing Virginia registration ZPY-3093 — was also a man.

Anyone with information concerning the crime, or the whereabouts of the vehicle, is asked to contact the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office at (757) 653-2100 or the Southampton County Crime Solvers at (757) 653-2900.

A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to the arrest of those involved. Crime Solvers calls are anonymous, and callers do not have to testify or appear in court.