Police are hunting a heartless criminal who attacked and robbed an elderly grandmother in broad daylight in Adelaide’s western suburbs.

Eighty-four-year-old Anh Huynh says she is now too scared to leave her house alone.

The incident was captured on CCTV, which showed the slim woman walking home from the shops when an opportunistic thug suddenly stole her bags and dragged her along the footpath.

The attacker was seen returning to examine Anh’s belongings before fleeing the scene.

He was battered and bruised and still had a large swelling from where he had hit his head on the trail, but he expressed his gratitude to Jesse Martin, the young shopkeeper who came to his aid and helped him home.

“He was distressed and probably had a concussion, his feet were a little wobbly,” Martin said.

“I had to stabilize him most of the way home.”

The robbery, which happened at noon last Friday on Thanet Street in Brooklyn Park, left Anh too scared to leave the house on her own.

He told 9News he will no longer go out to walk on the street or ride buses.

Police are searching for the perpetrator, who they say has distinctive tattoos on his left and possibly right arms.

“He was in his mid-40s to 50s,” said Martin, who was the last person to see the attacker.

“So I was a little surprised that someone of this age and maturity could do something like this.”