CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There have been several recent cases involving suspects targeting women and taking off. One of the crimes happened at a light rail stop on 7th Street in Uptown. However, the victim says Good Samaritans were there to help.
The victim says she was sitting down on a bench at the light rail stop, when one person distracted her by asking for directions and another person grabbed her purse. She says that’s when Good Samaritans jumped into help.
“I take the light rail every day,” Kassandra Walker said.
Walker said she was at the light rail stop after work with several other people on 7th Street around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Just ready to go home like everyone is at the end of the day,” Walker said.
According to Walker, all of a sudden she was approached by a young man.
“Someone asks me for directions and I'm confused, and the next thing I know -- I'm being pulled to the ground by my purse,” Walker told NBC Charlotte.
Before she knew it, Walker says two Good Samaritans confronted the suspect.
“They basically stood between us and were asking, ‘Why would you do that to a woman?’ -- they were basically ready to defend me if it came to that,” Walker said.
The suspect took off without any of her belongings.
About a week earlier, police say another woman was targeted for her purse outside the Epicentre in Uptown. There was yet another case outside of a Walmart on Albermarle Road earlier this week. Police say a suspect posing as a Good Samaritan stole a woman’s purse while she was working on her car.
Walker admits she was on the phone and not paying much attention when she was targeted.
“I definitely think they thought I was an easy target," Walker said.
Walker says after the crime, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department sent her tips to protect herself in the future. Police recommend carrying a cell phone and some safety device like pepper spray.
CMPD also says to be alert if someone asks for directions and continues to engage with you.
Fortunately, Walker was not serious hurt. This is still an ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made at this time.
