The crime happened just after midnight on July 27 in the 5000 block of Yale, just north of the 610 Loop.
Bhavika Dhodi told ABC13 she had just gotten to the gas station to pick up her husband from working the night shift because his car broke down.
In a video released by HPD on Friday, you can see a man jump out of a black Honda and run toward a white Toyota. While Dhodi was waiting for her husband to come out, the man suddenly opened the passenger door, pointed a gun at her and grabbed her purse.
According to HPD, the suspect then ran to the other side of the vehicle, opened the driver's door and forced the mother out of the vehicle and to the ground. Police said the suspect then ran toward a black four-door Honda Civic and got into the vehicle.
What the suspect did not realize is that Dhodi's 9- and 4-year-old daughters were sitting in the backseat as the robbery unfolded.
The image above shows the father and their two children.
"I was in the car and someone came and pushed my mom outside and got her bag and ran away," said Jeni Dhodi. "So, I ran out and called my dad, and then the police came."
Like many immigrant families, both parents work full-time and take care of the kids.
"I had finished my work, and I told them to wait for me," said Bharat Dhodi, who was doing paperwork inside the gas station. "They took her wallet and our money."
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The suspect is described as a Black man with a thin build. Police said he was last seen wearing a black hoodie and red pants.
If you know any information on who the suspects may be, you are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000.
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