Stockton Police Investigating Spike In Swift, Violent Robberies
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Detectives in Stockton are trying to keep up with a sudden rise in swift, violent robberies.
Connie Padilla witnessed one that lasted just seconds.
"The guy came out of the white Blazer, snatched her purse, and took off," she said.
While Stockton Police couldn't provide us with firm numbers, they say they have seen a dramatic uptick in robberies in the past month—both violent purse snatchings and people sitting in cars being approached by gunmen demanding property.
Officer Joe Silva says the robberies are quick, but dangerous.
"Right now, we don't know why they're occurring, and we don't know if it's one person, or a group that's doing it, or if it's different people," he said.
In one case over the weekend, a gunman ripped a purse off of a woman in front of the AJ Mart on West Lane. When a man went to help the victim, he was pistol-whipped. The gun actually went off, but didn't hit anyone.
In the meantime, police are urging everyone to not fight back, and instead be good witnesses by taking note of what suspects look like and what they were wearing.
