Instacart driver shot and robbed in Stockton, survives; no suspects in custody
STOCKTON -- A food delivery driver in Stockton was shot on Easter Sunday and no suspects are in custody.
A GoFundMe set up for an Instacart driver named Ashley by her husband Robert Mendoza gives background to a report of a shooting first reported on April 9, around 10:15 p.m. in the 700 block of Houston Avenue in Stockton, near Van Buskirk Park. Ashley was shot, according to Stockton Police, and robbed by two suspects. The driver survived.
In the online fundraiser, Mendoza writes about the extent of Ashley's injuries: "She suffered a tragic almost life losing experience on Easter night just trying to make her money doing Instacart."
A spokesperson for Stockton police said one suspect demanded the driver's belongings and the other suspect shot her. Police could not confirm the woman was an Instacart driver, but the family's online fundraiser as well as friends of the woman who was shot said she was out that night working for Instacart.
"I think to keep myself safe and make sure I come home to my children and my husband, I'm going to avoid from here on out," said Kristina Avilucea, a food delivery driver who met Ashley on the job, both waiting for orders to come through.
Avilucea said she will change the way she delivers, now, avoiding the area of the park where the shooting happened. She said she locks her car and turns it off when she delivers, which is what Stockton police's spokesperson said is the best practice for safety.
Law enforcement also suggests that drivers who deliver at night shine their headlights towards the door where they are making the delivery to enhance visibility and light.
Anyone with information on the suspects involved in the robbery and shooting at Van Buskirk Park on Sunday, April 9 is asked to contact Stockton Crimestoppers.