At about 4pm Monday, the 78-year-old woman walks to her car. She can be seen on surveillance video pushing her shopping basket. A few moments later, a white car comes into view and pulls into a nearby parking space. That's when life changed for that the woman who was about to become a crime statistic.
"As I was walking to my door she started talking about my car," recalled the victim, who asked not to be identified due to safety concerns. "She I said hello when I passed her."
What began as casual conversation changed within seconds.
The victim recalled, "She had this knife and she said, 'Now give me your money, all your money.' And she was putting a little bit of pressure there and I thought, oh gosh."
She complied and handed over her cash. Then she says the woman wanted her change as well.
Often surveillance video can provide details about a crime, but this tells little. A tree blocks the camera's view of the female suspect and the victim. What you can clearly see, though, are people walking by. One even looks in the direction of the women. The victim said her attacker threatened her life if she yelled, so there were no screams to alert potential witnesses.
But it still serves as a lesson in this season when so many shoppers are rushed and distracted. Look out for your own safety, and for others.
"Pay attention to your surroundings and not only for yourself but other people," explained Sgt. Lowell Neinast with Richmond Police Department. "If you get that gut feeling that something is wrong, something is probably wrong. It doesn't hurt to check on other people to make sure they're safe."
The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic female, approximately 50 to 60 years of age, average build, shoulder length salt and pepper hair, wearing a long sleeve, multicolored, flower print, button up shirt. A witness described the suspect as an older, thin Hispanic female, wearing a long sleeve flowery shirt and blue jeans.
The suspect left the location in a small, white, four-door passenger car with tinted windows, no hub caps and stock type rims.
The Richmond Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the department at 281-342-2849 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS. Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and filing of charges on the suspect in this case. All calls to Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous.
