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(Check out each point on the map above for details on each crime.)

Police are issuing an alert to Montgomery County residents following a spree of robberies that have increased in violence.

In the last month, police say, the suspect has committed 10 thefts in the Germantown area.

"It's alarming, and it seems out of character for the neighborhood," Germantown resident Elizabeth Leamy said. "It's quiet."

Leamy, who recently move to the Germantown neighborhood, was stunned by the brazen nature of the crimes.

Investigators say the suspect is targeting women and their purses, and he's getting bolder.

At first, he forced his way into cars and grabbed what he could find. But in the three recent cases, he attacked and threatened women who were getting in or out of their vehicles.

On Monday night, the suspect punched a 46-year-old woman in the face before fleeing Appledowre Circle with her property.

"It's a little bit disturbing…I had no idea," Leamy said.

Germantown resident Charlotte Price worries about how she'll protect both herself and her daughter in the event she's approached.

"I can't believe it. It makes we want to rethink a few things," Price added.