Although filled with vehicles, there wasn’t anyone else in the parking lot; drawn by the victim’s screams, a woman came out of the drug store and asked the victim if she was all right. “Then I drove myself to the police station,” where officers summoned SPFD EMTs who examined the victim and suggested she go to the Santa Paula Memorial Hospital Emergency Room.The victim’s injuries were photographed. “I had scratches on my chest and was bruised quite badly. . .it took the skin off my arm,” but the victim noted some of her injuries could have been caused by her own car keys or decorative pins she was wearing.“I want to thank the police and fire department; they were very concerned. When I said I was concerned about not having my driver’s license, the officer gave me his card and said if I was stopped to tell them to call him,” and he would explain the circumstances.Although her experience was “terrible, it could have been worse. . .someone asked me if traumatized and I said no, I was ticked but it’s not going to keep me out of the stores.”An unknown woman turned the victim’s wallet into the police the same day; it was missing a credit card and cash. “I knew exactly how much I had, $1.37. The officer said the crime is a penitentiary offense and that he couldn’t help smiling thinking the man did all this, jeopardized his future like that, for $1.37.”The victim said she would reward the woman who turned in her wallet if she discovers her identity.
SP senior citizen mugged but not unappreciative of those who helped her
December 28, 2001
Santa Paula News
A Santa Paula senior citizen was the victim of a brazen daytime mugging and the experience left her bruised, but not unappreciative of those who helped her, including the unknown good citizen who turned her stolen wallet over to police.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA Santa Paula senior citizen was the victim of a brazen daytime mugging and the experience left her bruised, but not unappreciative of those who helped her, including the unknown good citizen who turned her stolen wallet over to police.The petite woman victim asked that her name not be used and wouldn’t reveal her age: “Just say I’m a senior citizen,” she noted.The crime occurred on Saturday, Dec. 15 at about 4 p.m. while she was getting into her vehicle at Rite Aid drug store located on the corner of Palm Avenue and Harvard Boulevard.“A man came up behind me, grabbed me,” and her purse. The suspect ran and turned, throwing the victim’s purse back in her direction and something else he didn’t expect.“His pager or cell phone,” also came sailing through the air towards the victim, and the suspect quickly ran back to retrieve it. “That’s when I got a good look at his face. . .” and that the suspect was neatly dressed, well-groomed and of average build, nothing outstanding for descriptive purposes. “He wasn’t a teenager and was wearing slacks. . .”
