A 49-year-old man was held on $150,000 cash bail at his arraignment on charges that he punched an Auburn grandmother and slashed her hand with a knife before stealing her purse during a downtown carjacking, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F Conley said.

RICHARD MORSE (D.O.B. 12/23/60) of Boston is charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person 60 or older for the Nov. 2, 2009, attack on a 61-year-old grandmother near Downtown Crossing.

Morse was additionally charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for brandishing a knife on two separate occasions at a civilian who came to the elder victim’s aid. Based on his criminal history, Morse has been charged as a habitual offender, which qualifies him for a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 15 years if convicted of the armed robbery charge.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory Henning of Conley’s Major Felony Bureau told Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong that, at about 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2, the victim was getting into her car in the area of 45 Province St. when Morse entered her vehicle and tried to push her over the center console into the passenger’s seat.

Armed with a knife, Morse allegedly threatened to kill the victim if she did not stop screaming.

“Richard Morse got into the car, cut her hands, and struck her,” Henning said.

The defendant allegedly ordered the victim out of her car as she continued to scream for help. In the meantime, Morse allegedly attempted to drive off in her car but fumbled with the car keys.

A civilian who was working as a valet nearby heard the victim’s screams and ran over to her car, carrying an umbrella. “He attempted to strike or subdue [Richard] Morse with the umbrella,” Henning said.

Morse then grabbed the victim’s purse from inside the vehicle, got out of the car and flashed his knife at the valet before fleeing the scene on foot.

Henning told the court that the valet chased Morse for two blocks, catching the attention of a second civilian witness. That witness notified a Boston Police officer working a detail in the area that a man appeared to have stolen a woman’s purse.

The valet confronted Morse near an alley. For a second time, Morse “brandished his knife and threatened him,” Henning said.

At about this time, the police officer and second witness caught up to Morse and the valet in the area of Quaker Lane and Congress Street. The officer observed that the defendant matched the description provided to him by the civilian witness. He also saw the strap of a woman’s purse hanging from Morse’s sweatshirt.

After ordering Morse to drop his knife, the officer arrested Morse. Henning told the court that, upon being taken into custody, Morse said, “I don’t want to go back to jail, I’m tired of this [expletive].”

Morse is represented by attorney Timothy Brown. He is expected to return to court on March 30.