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Palm Beach County girl honored for fighting off purse snatcher

Journee Nelson, 9, is honored by Palm Beach County commissioners on Feb. 1, 2022.jpg
Posted at 1:47 PM, Feb 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-01 22:26:27-05

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Tuesday marks National Journee Day in Palm Beach County, named after a fourth grade student who jumped in to to help her mom during a purse snatching.

"My phone just started going off this morning from people tagging me on Facebook, like, happy Journee Day. And I'm like, what is everybody talking about?" said Danielle Mobley.

The phone calls and social media posts were congratulating Danielle Mobley's daughter, Journee. Mobley was about to find out her daughter would receive something more than a plaque with her name.

"February 1st, 2022 in Palm Beach County is hereby proclaimed Journee Nelson Day," commissioners announced Tuesday morning.

"I was already crying when he was reading it," Mobley said.

It's because of Journee's bravery. Surveillance video shows back in November a man run up to her mother as she was getting into her car at a grocery store. He was trying to grab her mother's purse.

Journee can be seen repeatedly hitting the man in the head.

"Her quick action is probably what made him run off when he did, because he wasn't expecting that fight," Mobley said. "I'm happy that she wasn't scared. I know she will defend herself, and that's her initial reaction, but then it's like don't do that again."

Now Journee finds herself always looking out for her mother.

"Look around at my surroundings," Journee said. "Just in case it happens again."

"That has changed both of us for the better, but definitely her. If we are at a grocery store or a gas station or anything, from the time we will pull to the time we back out, she is watching everybody that walks past us," Mobley said.

The memory of what happened that day will be with Journee for a long time, but she's happy mom is OK and this date bears her name.

Journee's mother said that since the incident happened, the lead investigator from the West Palm Beach Police Department has been checking up on the family.