DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Robbed at gunpoint while jogging in a Lake Highlands neighborhood in Dallas, residents are outraged over not only the crime but also the lack of response from Dallas police.
The victim, who does not want to be identified, said the robbery happened just before sunrise on Monday.
“I just heard a voice coming up from behind me saying, ‘Give me your iPhone, give me your iPhone!’ So I looked to my right and there a guy was point a gun in my face,” said the victim. “All I could think about was giving the guy whatever he wanted.”
But it was what happened right after being robbed that is bothering the victim and his neighbors even more.
Donald Wright, the victim’s neighbor, just happened to be drive by the scene and started calling 911 after hearing what happened.
After a call at 5:58 a.m., then at 6:21 a.m. and finally at almost 7:00 a.m., Wright and the victim said dispatch told them they had a shortage of patrol cars and the victim would have to come into the police station to report the crime.
“When I walked into the police station and said I needed to report an armed robbery, the guy was like, ‘What?’” said the victim. “I feel like when I was threatened with my life, it was a serious deal.”
Dallas police said it is reviewing call logs to figure out what happened and said officers are taking the incident very seriously.
“Of course I would have loved for them to catch them shortly after my incident. But unfortunately It didn’t happen. So hopefully they get quicker about responding,” said the victim.
Reports of the incident resulted in extra police presence in the area on Tuesday. Jogger Bozena Phillips likes to hit the trails with a friend. “I think it’s very important for everyone to be cautious every single day, because sometimes you know you’re in your ‘zone’ [and] you’re not paying attention to anything… what’s around and you’re tired,” he said. “So, its a good idea to always have like another person and look for each other.”
Just two miles away from where the victim was robbed, residents reported a similar crime where another jogger was also robbed at gunpoint — that incident happened minutes after the above victim was robbed. Police say the two cases appear to be connected and they are investigating.
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