Woman Dragged By Gas Station Thieves: 'It Scares Me To Death What Could've Happened'
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DAVIE (CBSMiami) – While Patricia Coxe was focused on pumping gas Friday morning, some thieves apparently thought she would make an easy target.
Surveillance videos captured a terrifying moment for Coxe.
As she pumped gas at a Southwest Ranches station, a car pulled up beside hers. A man got out and suddenly smashed her passenger window and grabbed her purse and a medical bag from the passenger seat.
"I heard this loud kaboom!" she recalled.
Coxe, a nurse and a lifelong South Florida resident, said her instinct was to go after her stuff.
"I was raised where you don't take what's not yours. I've worked hard all my life and it was my purse and he had it, and I went to get it," she said.
What happened next still terrifies Coxe. The bad guy in the passenger seat decided to take Coxe for a ride.
"The man that had my purse closed the doors on my arms and held my arms inside that car. "I had a phone in my hand and he was twisting my hand to get that phone out of hand."
The video shows Coxe running alongside the car and being dragged through the parking lot until the driver told the other guy to let Coxe go.
"It scares me to death when I… sorry," she said crying, "see the video and realize what could've happened."
Coxe bears a few scars and deep bruising on her arms.
Davie Police Det. Johnnie Bennett said these thieves who preyed on an unsuspecting victim need to be found and stopped.
"This is what you did to my victim and we will catch you," Bennett said.
Coxe said this type of crime cannot be tolerated.
"I could not be here today and my grandchildren could not have a grandmother. I just think enough is enough," Coxe said. "I love South Florida and I think you should be able to go pump gas at a Shell station at 11 o'clock on a Friday morning without being in terror."
CBS4 asked Det. Bennett if there are any other cases involving this car or this M.O. The detective said he's not ready to discuss that.
If you have any information on who these thieves are, contact the Davie Police Department or Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.