Woman Traumatized One Month After Being Dragged by Car and Robbed
Woman said she tried to grab her purse back and was dragged by the thieves' vehicle.
A 63-year-old woman is still traumatized almost a month after she was robbed and then dragged by a car at a North Miami Beach gas station. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told NBC Miami that even after she opened new bank accounts, the thieves were still able to withdraw $1,200 just a few days ago. Luis Ramirez, the gas station?s owner, told NBC Miami that he bought the gas station one month ago without functioning cameras, but will be installing new cameras and a new system that will be working shortly.
A 63-year-old woman is still traumatized almost a month after she was robbed and then dragged by a car at a North Miami Beach gas station.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told NBC Miami that even after she opened new bank accounts, the thieves were still able to withdraw $1,200 just a few days ago.
“It just put me right back to where I started,” she said. “The agony, everything, because I really don’t know if these people are passing by my house. I don’t know who they are, but they know who I am. It is a horrible experience.”
The crime occurred in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon.
“I just didn’t think that people could do that to someone,” she said. “It was a very frightening experience.”
The woman said that a car pulled up close to her passenger-side door, broke into her window and grabbed her purse. She said that when she rushed and grabbed her purse from the men, she was dragged into the street by the car.
“I couldn’t really think,” she said. “I guess I just reacted.”
The thieves, who she said drove a grey or white vehicle, took off and left her hurt in the middle of North Miami Avenue.
“All I could do was just scream and cry, and I laid there and realized I had been all scraped up.”
The incident was on Jan. 29 at the U-Gas on 167 Street and North Miami Avenue. The woman said that the gas station was busy and that all of the other pumps were being utilized at the time.
“It didn’t bother them that all these people were around, but I just felt really sad that everybody was afraid and nobody reacted,” she said. “Nobody tried to stop what was happening to me.”
Within an hour, the men used her card to buy gas.
The woman and her husband spent $5,000 changing the locks to their house, paying off hospital bills, canceling cards, and closing and opening accounts.
Security cameras at the U-Gas were not working during the crime, so police have not been able to see the footage or track down the criminals.
Luis Ramirez, the gas station’s owner, told NBC Miami that he bought the gas station one month ago without functioning cameras, but will be installing new cameras and a new system that will be working shortly.
“I am pretty much aware of my surroundings, and if I knew that I was going to a station where they didn’t have working cameras, I certainly wouldn’t have gone there,” the woman said.
Miami-Dade Police are investigating both incidents and looking for the thieves.
Law enforcement experts advise people in such situations to never fight back. They also give these four crucial tips to keep you safe at the pump:
1) Try to get gas at a familiar station.
2) Take a look around for suspicious behavior. Be cautious if you feel like you've been followed or someone is staking out the gas station.
3) Do not leave your purse in the car.
4) Lock the door.
