Angel waited in the car as his mother, Letcia, ran inside a post office in Stanton to grab the mail before noon.
"I was just thinking about, he stole my mom's purse," Angel said.
"I pulled in, saw a white car next to me," Leticia said. "I remember turning off my car and Angel was in the backseat. My purse was in the front. I said, 'Angel, keep an eye on my purse, please,' and he just said, 'OK, mom.'"
Letcia says she was gone for just one minute.
"He opened the door," Angel said. "I don't' know how."
Angel said a man reached in and grabbed his mother's purse.
The little boy then got into a tug of war with the suspect, a man in his 30's.
"I just tried to take the purse away from him," Angel said. "He just was pulling hard and passed it to his girlfriend."
Angel's mother then walked out of the post office.
"All I thought about was my son getting hurt," Letcia said. "I don't really mind about the purse, but my son's life. I got scared. Really scared."
Letcia then fought the man for her purse as he tried to drive away, almost running over her feet as he sped off.
Her son was terrified.
"He was crying really loud, he was so scared," Letcia said. "He was shaking, he was screaming at me, 'Mom.' He thought I was going to get hurt."
Letcia said the man has severe acne scars on his face. He was driving a white 1990s Honda Accord. Authorities said the car had a California license plate that started with either 3G or 3J.
The woman is described to be in her late 20s with long, black hair.
While the man got away with her purse, she's grateful her son was not injured.
"I'm happy he's OK," Letcia said. "He was trying to be a hero."
The suspect didn't get away with any cash. Letcia didn't have any money in her wallet.
Authorities said the suspect may be connected with another purse snatching in Orange County.
Anyone with information on the purse snatching is asked to call (866) TIP-OCSD.
