Woman fought off Fenway purse-snatcher near Northeastern: Police

A woman who was attacked at knifepoint in the Fenway early Sunday morning told police she fought back against her attacker.

Police arrested suspect Wayne Barber, 53, of Dorchester shortly after the attack. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Roxbury District Court.

Officers responded to the area of 137 Park Drive near the Back Bay Fens and Northeastern University around 2:21 a.m. after reports of a woman screaming, according to a police report.

The victim told police she had been walking in a rear alley when the suspect pushed her to the ground, pulled out a knife and tried to steal her purse, the report said. The woman fought back by kicking and hitting the suspect, who then ran away, police said.

The woman sustained a knife wound that was described as non-life threatening, police said.

Acting on a description the victim provided to police, officers from the Boston and Northeastern University police departments later chased Barber and “wrestled him to the ground,” according to the report.

Officers found personal items that belonged to the victim and recovered a knife that had been discarded during the chase, police said.

Barber was scheduled to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on charges of armed robbery, attempted murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the report said.

On its website, Boston Police provided a list of “personal safety” tips, among them: walk and park your car in well-lit areas, wear sneakers, don’t get distracted by smartphones, yell loudly if attacked, carry car keys as weapons and don’t be afraid to attack an attacker.

“If an unarmed attacker confronts you, believe in your ability to defend, distract, or even incapacitate the attacker enough to escape,” police wrote.