BELLINGHAM - A 16-year-old girl was punched in the face several times in an attempted robbery of her purse Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 25, near Maritime Heritage Park. Police are still looking for the attacker.

The girl was walking alone on the sidewalk nearest the park in the 500 block of West Holly Street when a man asked her for money, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. She told him she didn't have any.

Then the suspect - a 5-foot-6 white man with a medium build - grabbed her purse and tried to pull it from her, Young said. She held on, even as the man connected with several jabs to her face. The man ran off empty-handed.

The girl did not need immediate medical treatment. She met up with her mother in downtown Bellingham and, about a half hour after the assault, they called police together.

The teen told police the suspect was wearing blue jeans and a dark Carhartt-style jacket with a white lining. Officers canvassed the park and its surroundings but found no possible suspects.

Descriptions of the suspect's age and hair color weren't available Wednesday.

Anyone with tips should call Bellingham police at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.