Can police search the purse of a defendant who has left it in a stolen vehicle?

Similarly, in People v. Shepherd (1994) 23 Cal.App.4th 825 (Shepherd), the court of appeal affirmed the trial court's denial of the defendant's motion to suppress. Defendant had left her purse in a stolen truck. Police searched the truck and the purse, which contained information that identified defendant. (Id. at p. 827.) The court concluded that defendant had no legitimate expectation of privacy in the purse. (Id. at p. 829.) "Whether a woman has a legitimate privacy interest in the contents of her purse depends in part on where the purse is located. Thus, a woman who forgetfully leaves her purse on a chair at the dress shop may reasonably expect someone to look inside it to ascertain the rightful owner. (See [Juan, supra, 175 Cal.App.3d 1064].) Similarly, one who leaves her purse in a stolen vehicle may reasonably expect someone to look in the purse to ascertain the identity of the victim or thief. In short, by leaving her purse in a stolen vehicle, defendant failed to take normal precautions to maintain her privacy in the purse." (Shepherd, supra, 23 Cal.App.4th at p. 829.)