Moment grieving mother fights off violent mugger's attack as he tries to steal her phone... with a video of her dead baby on it

This is the horrifying moment a mother is punched to the ground by a violent mugger trying to steal her purse.

But the brave woman fights the thug off in a desperate bid to keep hold of her purse - because inside it was a recording of her dead baby calling her 'Mommy'.

The unnamed woman was punched in the face and dragged along the street in the Venice beach area of Los Angeles.

One of the possessions in the bag was a mobile phone with recordings of her infant daughter Minty on it.

Ready to die: Footage shows the unnamed mother and her baby daughter, Minty, who died ten weeks ago of cancer

Not letting go: The defiant woman is dragged into the road by her attacker

The toddler tragically died just 10 weeks before the incident from cancer.

CCTV images show the former New Yorker refusing to let go of the bag - despite brutal attempts by her attacker.

He punches her to the ground and drags her along the street in the horrifying footage.

But the woman fiercely refuses to let go of the bag - and the cowardly mugger finally gives up and races off.

The victim told the KTLA TV network that she was willing to die rather than give up the recordings of her child.

She said: 'When it happened I just, I was totally ready to die. I did not care. I was like, that recording is on that phone with Minty babbling and saying mommy and laughing.'

Despite the ordeal, the woman escaped with only minor cuts and bruises.

Her attacker is still on the loose after making his escape - empty handed - in a van and police are still trying to hunt him down.

The incident happened on September 19, the 10-week anniversary of the Minty's death.

'It was literally to the minute, to the day that Minty had died,' the victim added.

The vicious robber tries to grab the woman's handbag in a Los Angeles street