Gold Chain Robbery Victim Held At Gunpoint

STOCKTON (CBS13) - A woman stared death in the face after two men held her at gunpoint for her gold chain.

Stockton police say she was even choked during the assault.

Imagine being a young woman just walking down the street, when two men come up, one chokes you, the other puts a gun to your head, just to take off with the gold chain around your neck.

"She was by herself, minding her own business, when these subjects came up to her and violently attacked her," said Officer Joe Silva, Stockton Police Department said.

That's what Stockton police say happened to a 28-year-old woman Saturday while she was walking along Hunter Road.

They say this is just another gold chain robbery turned violent, one of 200 others since March.

"We're describing it as an epidemic," said Silva.

Just over a week ago, a man was shot and killed for his gold chain in Victory Park.

"Our detectives are concerned; our police department is concerned," said Silva.

That concern sparked a town hall style meeting this week, where the police department asked for the communities' help in stopping the violence with a new $215,000 initiative called "Operation Ceasefire."

At this same meeting, Oakland A's pitcher and hometown hero Dallas Braden expressed his outrage with the escalating crime.

That very same night, Stockton had its 50 murder of the year.

"It's happening all over the city, not just one area, one park, one neighborhood," said Silva.

Meanwhile, despite the new initiative, violent crime is still haunting Stockton. This is why police say a partnership between with the community can't come soon enough.

However, will it make an impact before another innocent victim gets hurt?

Police say two suspects took off in a black car, and are both described as black men in their 20s.