HARMONY — An elderly Christian counselor was the victim of a violent, daylight purse snatching Tuesday on Pittsburgh Street.

A man and two women, all from Pittsburgh neighborhoods, already have been arrested and charged with committing the crime. They’re in the Butler County Prison awaiting a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

Zelienople police Chief James Miller said investigators still don’t know why the trio of suspects was in the area or why they picked this particular woman to victimize.

The victim, a 70-year-old Cranberry Township woman, was scheduled to meet a client at the Zelienople Harmony United Methodist Church at 2 p.m.

She arrived about 15 minutes early and was about to enter the building’s locked side entrance door when, according to court records, a black man who was a stranger to her approached her and asked to use her phone. When the victim said she did not have access to the church’s phone, the robber grabbed her purse and briefcase and knocked her to the ground, according to court records.

The victim, according to court records, screamed as she and the man struggled for possession of the items.

The man took hold of the brief case and the woman’s red purse and jumped into a waiting white car, which drove away, according to court records.

At that time, only the youth director and church secretary Jean Hutchinson were inside the building.

Hutchinson said they were unaware of what had taken place until afterward. However, just the report of what happened was unsettling.

“Definitely nerve wracking,” Hutchinson said.

A witness, not associated with the church, saw the struggle and made note of the car’s occupants and license plate number, according to court records. That information was broadcast over a police radio system, and shortly thereafter a Cranberry Township police officer spotted the car on Interstate 79.

The Cranberry police officer followed the car into Allegheny County, where he was assisted by several other departments in stopping the vehicle at the Bellevue/Westview exit, according to court records.

The male in the car, later identified as 34-year-old Elliot J. Mullen of Carnegie, allegedly jumped out of the vehicle and tried to run. However, he was quickly arrested.

Mullen is charged with robbery, conspiracy and simple assault.

Also facing robbery and conspiracy charges is Kayla Maiolie, 24, of Imperial. And Marquita J. Mullen, 30, of Carnegie is charged with robbery, conspiracy, criminal mischief and driving without a license.

All three are in the Butler County Prison on $20,000 bail each.

Court records say the victims’ possessions were recovered. The victim, contacted for this report, declined to comment and referred all questions to her director, Dr. Richard Hoffman of Christian Counseling Associates of Western Pennsylvania.

“She’s shaken up a little bit,” Hoffman said, noting that the victim suffered only a slight abrasion to her right hand. “We’re very thankful that she wasn’t harmed. The trauma of being attacked was the worst part of it.”

Meantime, Miller said other police agencies have heard about the arrests and are reviewing video tapes of robberies to see if the trio might be involved.

Court records say Mullen’s criminal record already includes a 2004 conviction for robbery in Washington County.

Additionally, in Allegheny County, he has been convicted of unauthorized use of an automobile, false reports to law enforcement and conspiracy to manufacture drugs. And he was wanted for a violation of his probation for a 2013 conviction of a felony receiving stolen property charge.

Although officials did not immediately cite the connection between Elliot and Marquita Mullen, a previously published obituary identified them as brother and sister.

Marquita Mullen, according to court records, has previous convictions for theft and possession of marijuana and a controlled substance in Allegheny County.

Maiolie has two pending cases of theft of leased property in Allegheny County.