A Vallejo woman is speaking out after falling victim to a purse snatcher.
The woman and her mother were pumping gas in Vallejo when a man snuck into her car without them even noticing. The incident was caught on video.
Anaeidi Trujillo Prado said she is still in disbelief. She said that she and her mother were fueling up last Tuesday morning at the Vallejo Shell station on Admiral Callahan Drive, when a man who had pulled up beside them, snuck into their car, grabbed her mother’s purse then tip toed back to his car and drove away. without the women even noticing.
“I would have never thought that this would happen to us,” she said. “Super quiet and quick, I’m like 'Whoa he’s got skills.' It seems like he’s been doing it a while.”
Prado said her mother is a housekeeper who had several months of earnings in the purse, $4,000, she had saved up for rent and cleaning supplies.
“She’s a hard worker and I feel like it’s so unfair to people who wake up every morning to get that cash and someone just comes and grabs it like that,” Prado said.
Vallejo police said it’s the season for these types of crimes of opportunity and with Black Friday kicking off the shopping season this week. Police expects an uptick and urges drivers to be on guard.
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“Of course, gas stations, parking lots and highly populated areas. Even red lights are common areas for drivers to become relaxed and not as alert as we would like them to be,” said Rashad Hollis with the Vallejo Police Department.
Drivers said they are seeing how quickly it can happen is eye opening. Prado is hoping police will pursue the case and track down the suspect. She thankful she and her mom were not hurt.
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“I thank God that we’re fine, that we’re OK. It’s just money and material stuff. But at the same time, it’s lots of money that we lost,” she said.
