This is the moment a thug violently attacked a 60-year-old woman at a dentist knocking out her teeth as he tries unsuccessfully to steal her backpack.

The incident took place in the La Paternal neighbourhood in the capital of Argentina Buenos Aires on 25th November at around 7 AM.

The footage shows a man, who has not been named, entering the dental clinic through an open door before he can be seen attacking the 60-year-old woman, who has been named only as Rosa in local media reports and who works as a cleaner.

The assailant pushes the woman into one of the treatment rooms and he can be seen trying to grab her rucksack. She can be heard screaming but no one comes to help her.

But she fights back, grabbing a broom to beat him with, and eventually, the assailant flees back through the door through which he had entered the clinic in the first place.

Rosa, who reportedly lost a few teeth in the attack, filed a complaint with the police and a suspect was later arrested after being identified.

It is currently unclear if the suspect has been charged yet.

Marcelo D’Alessandro, the Minister of Justice and Security for Buenos Aires, said in a statement: “Zero tolerance for the violent. Thanks to the rapid action of the Buenos Aires Police, we arrested the criminal in the Fraga Settlement after he beat up a 60-year-old woman to steal her backpack.”