MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police are on the hunt for the person accused of robbing a woman at gunpoint at a popular East Memphis shopping center.
Police said she was robbed at Laurelwood Shopping Center at Poplar Avenue and Perkins Road. Although the victim wasn’t seriously hurt, shoppers and workers in the area said they’re terrified.
Monday was anything but a normal day for employees who work at Laurelwood Shopping Center.
Charlotte Sydes, who works at King Furs and Fine Jewelry, said she was in the back of the store when a woman was robbed at gunpoint outside in the parking lot.
Workers told WREG the victim was leaving Mona Esthetics when she was robbed.
“From what I heard is the man just asked her for her purse and she refused,” Sydes said.
Police told WREG the woman was hit in the head with a pistol before the suspect got a hold of her money and took off. Sydes said employees came outside to help.
“One of the employees that worked there came back and asked us for paper towels because the woman was bleeding, and she was trying to help her and then at that time we heard the police and the ambulance coming,” Sydes explained.
Chanel Alnasan and her friends meet at the shopping center a few times a week for a run.
“It frightens me because we come out here, because we come out here to run, we come out here to shop, and it frightens me to know that it’s not safe here,” she said.
The chief operating officer of the property said in a statement he’s working with the security company to avoid incidents like this in the future.
“I carry pepper spray every time I run, and I also try to run with a group, I try not to run alone,” Alnasan stated.
Cory Prewitt with Laurelwood Shopping Center also said this is the first incident like this at the shopping center.
Give CrimeStoppers a call at 528-CASH if you have any information that could help lead to an arrest.
