A Flathead County woman told investigators she was trying to get money to buy morphine when she attempted on Jan. 19 to steal a 78-year-old woman’s purse.

The altercation left the elderly woman with a broken pelvis.

Kimberly Ann Ward, 23, has been charged in Flathead County District Court with robbery while her 20-year-old brother, Kevin James Ward, is charged with accountability to robbery for allegedly driving her away from the scene.

According to court documents, the brother and sister initially planned to steal merchandise from Walmart on Hutton Ranch Road to either pawn or return to the store for cash.

Both of them told investigators their goal was to acquire money with which to buy morphine, according to court documents.

Kevin Ward, who allegedly noted how easy it would be to steal a purse instead, pointed out 78-year-old Hildegard Krause to Kimberly Ward as they drove through the Walmart parking lot at about 3:30 p.m., according to court documents.

Krause later told a Kalispell Police Department detective that someone grabbed her purse from behind and tried to pull it from her shoulder as she was placing purchases in her vehicle.

According to a report by Detective Myron Wilson, “Ms. Krause held onto her purse and was dragged several steps before she fell to the ground. The person continued to pull at the purse but Ms. Krause held on to it and the person left.”

Krause, who said she was in too much pain to stand on her own after the altercation, was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center the following day. Doctors found three or four hairline fractures on her pelvis and bruises on her left shoulder, according to court documents.

Surveillance footage showe?d a white passenger car parked next to Krause’s vehicle where a woman believed to be Kimberly Ward exited. The car drove away and idled nearby while Kimberly Ward attempted to steal the purse, according to court documents.

She can be seen running to the car after failing to get the purse, according to court documents.

A witness identified Kimberly Ward as the suspect.

She was arrested Jan. 26 after allegedly admitting to the robbery in an interview with a Kalispell Police Department officer.

Kevin Ward was arrested Jan. 31.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset commended Krause for her handling of the incident,  noting that she maintained possession of her purse.

“There’s just no rational way to explain what these people did ... to an elderly woman,” Nasset said. “I’ve got to give her credit, though. She held her own.”

The siblings are being held at the Flathead County Detention Center and are scheduled to be arraigned in District Court in Feb. 17.

Kevin Ward’s bail has been set at $30,000 while Kimberly Ward is being held on $21,000 bail. Kevin Ward also is facing the revocation of a deferred sentence for a Dec., 2010, felony criminal endangerment conviction.

Convictions for robbery and accountability to robbery carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and no less than two years.