Woman Fights Off Robber in Riverside: Police

Hinsdale IL

29 October, 2020

6:12 AM

Description

RIVERSIDE, IL — A woman fought off a suspect in an attempted carjacking early Monday morning at a Riverside gas station, police said. About 6 a.m., a gray van pulled up next to the victim, a 57-year-old woman from Lyons, at Amstar service station, 3346 S. Harlem Ave., and a woman jumped out holding a handgun, police said. The victim, who was pumping gas, tried to prevent the carjacking and injured her hand doing so. The suspect then got into the van, which went south on Harlem. Someone else was driving. The suspect was described as black, heavyset, about 5 feet, 6 inches, having black hair, and wearing a nylon cap, a gray shirt and blue jeans. No description of the driver was available. The victim was treated by paramedics, but refused to be taken to a hospital, police said. Police were able to get video of the incident, but most of it was blocked by the pumps and other cars that had pulled in during the attempted carjacking. No one else in the service station knew the incident was taking place, police said. Through the video, police saw the van circle the gas station several times, with the occupants likely looking for a lone person to hold up, according to the news release. A day earlier, the suspect van was stolen from the 8000 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago, police said. It was found in the 7600 block of South Sangamon Avenue in Chicago a day after the Riverside incident. "I would never recommend that a victim fight with an offender, especially those who are armed," Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said in a statement. "In this case, the victim was lucky that the offender fled without firing any shots at the victim." Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Riverside police at 708-447-2127 or send anonymous tips to [email protected].