A woman who owns a small business in Burbank was robbed Wednesday evening at 6:15 p.m., after she stopped in a local gas station to have a flat tire changed.
The victim had left her business and gone to the bank to make a deposit. After leaving the bank she was driving southbound on Hollywood Way, when another motorist flagged her down at Verdugo Ave., and told her she had a flat tire. She drove a few blocks to the 76 gasoline station at Hollywood Way and Alameda Ave., where she eventually called the Automobile Club of Southern California for assistance in changing a rear tire on her vehicle.
After the tire had been changed, she started to back her vehicle out of the parking space at the gas station. Suddenly, the right front passenger window was smashed, and a pair of arms reached through the shattered window and grabbed her purse that was sitting on the front seat. The victim struggled with the robber, but eventually lost her grip on the purse. She later complained of shoulder pain.
Her screams attracted the attention of the tow truck driver who had just changed her tire. He chased after the robber, who ran eastbound through the alley towards Cordova St. The suspect was observed getting into a silver colored early 2000’s model Audi A4 or VW Passat.
The suspect, who was the same motorist who originally told the victim she had a flat tire, is described as a White male in his late 30’s or early 40’s, with dark hair, wearing a purple adjustable baseball cap, unknown color pants, and a collared shirt. Police were unable to locate the suspect or his car in the area. It is suspected that the robber may have followed the victim from her business to the bank. While she was in the bank, he let the air out of one of her tires, then posed as a good Samaritan by telling her she had a flat, hoping that she would pull over in an area away from witnesses.
