Woman falls victim to brazen daytime robbery while pumping gas

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's a crime even the authorities are calling brazen.

On Wednesday at 12:20 in the afternoon, a woman was pumping gas at the Exxon station at Buffalo Speedway and Southwest Freeway.

After finishing she got in her car and was sending an email on her phone. Her windows were up and her doors were locked. Her gym bag and wallet were sitting on her passenger seat.

Then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"I had seen someone creeping up to the side of car. My first initial reaction was to turn and make sure my door was locked, which it was," she said.

Then seconds later the suspect broke the glass and grabbed her purse. She grabbed it back. He pointed something at her, possibly a weapon, and then pulled her purse away and took off.

The incident was so terrifying, she still lives in fear and did not want her identity shown but she does want to share her story to help others.

"My issue was, I was so focused into my mobile device, my telephone, I didn't pay attention to anything else or anyone else or anything that may have seemed suspicious," she said.

Still Crime Stoppers says she did what she was supposed to do.

"When you look at the entire situation, she did everything right. She's going in the daytime, she's at a busy location, she locked her car but you do have to look around, stay vigilant, maybe anticipate that he was going to open the door," said Jeff McShan with Houston Crime Stoppers.

Another tip, put your purse or wallet under your seat so crooks can't see you have it.

Authorities are still searching for the suspect. The woman described the man as being a black man, 19 to 23 years old, about 160 pounds with a thin build and short hair. She said he was wearing a gray long sleeve shirt or hoodie.