[nfbmi-talk] Another Blind person's story -- happy ending FW: I was robbed on Saturday night

[Fred Wurtzel]

Some of us in Michigan know this person.



-----Original Message-----
From: Chasity Jackson [mailto:chasityvanda at charter.net] 
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 6:47 PM
To: our-safe-haven at googlegroups.com
Subject: I was robbed on Saturday night

Hi everyone.

I went to Walmart on Saturday and did some grocery shopping. My friend Terry
accompanied me. Terry and I were sitting on the bench by the door. We were
inside the store on the bench. I had just called a cab. My guide dog Hadley
was with me too. As I hung up from calling the cab, I was about to put my
cell phone back in my purse, when I felt it suddenly being taken from me. 
The person took it and ran. I started screaming for help, and nobody was
around at the time. A couple people just walked by. Then I saw another lady
coming and I ran into her path and stopped her before she too walked by. I
told her my purse had been stolen and I needed help immediately. A few other
people came to the scene to help and the police were notified. They came and
got a good description from me about the incident. The shopper who helped me
shop also came and described my purse. I know my bank's number and my debit
card number by heart, so it was cancelled immediately. The two officers who
came went and reviewed the camera footage. They thought before reviewing it
that they could easily track the thief by her license plate. But due to
where she parked and the lighting at that area, they came back and told me
that they couldn't. While they had gotten a very good description of the
woman as she took my purse, they could not get a good shot of her license. 
They told me my chances of getting my purse back were slim and none. They
took a report and I went home, unloaded my groceries and considered it a
loss. About twenty minutes after I got home, one of the officers called me
and asked me to come back to Walmart. He said he had my purse. He asked if I
wanted to press charges against the woman and without hesitation, I said I
absolutely wanted to press charges. Once Chris and I called a cab and
arrived, the other officer came to us and told me he was the one who stopped
them. He was a very nice African American gentleman. So they had me check
through my purse to make sure all cards and everything were there. The woman
had dumped my purse all over a parking lot once she realized there was no
cash in it. I felt so fortunate to get it back because it contained things
of a lot of value, such as my victor reader stream which is a reading device
that blind people use, that was about $350, my digital camera which was over
another $300, my ticket that Chuck Berry autographed and something that Kid
Rock gave me...It also contained many of my demographic documents such as my
state ID, social security card, debit card, etc. My house keys were also in
my purse, so  all she had to do was get my address off my ID, come to my
house and use the keys. I had four or five SD cards. They are still missing.

I am following up about those. I asked the officer how he ended up catching
her. He explained again to me that he was the officer who reviewed the
camera, so he already had a good description of her. A few minutes after I
left, he was called to the scene of a motorist assist. A gentleman was
sitting on the road, changing a flat tire for two ladies in a car. The
officer blocked off the road so the guy didn't get hit. After blocking off
the road, he shined a spotlight on the car. He noticed that the car matched
the description of the one they saw on the camera. He said he played it cool
and acted like he was trying to help. But he went closer and saw the two
ladies in the car and they completely matched the description of the
suspects on camera at the store. So he asked the ladies to step out of the
car and arrested them. I asked if I could see the lady who stole my purse
and confront her about it face to face. He said it wasn't a good idea at the
moment because she was hysterical and actin a fool, as he put it. I asked
him what she was doing that was so foolish. He said she was hysterical
because she has a newborn baby and she was screaming, "So, just because I
took something, now my newborn baby has to suffer?" And he explained to her,
technically yes she will suffer, but we have to teach you that you can't
take things and not have consequences." The woman's husband came up to me,
shook my hand and apologized profusely for what his wife had done. He said,
"She's a little crazy, and I don't blame you for anything you do to her. She
deserves anything she's getting. I don't want sympathy from you, but we do
have a newborn and I do need her around, but at the same time, she shouldn't
have done anything and I don't blame you for pursuing it. Again, I
apologize." He seemed very genuine and sincere about his apology. I feel
like I am doing the best thing and doing he and the baby a favor by
continuing to pursue it. If she's as psycho as he claims, she really has no
business raising the baby to be a convicted felon like herself. The cops
charged her with strong armed robbery, a felony for stealing and grand
theft. What are the odds that the same officer who reviewed the camera and
was helping at the scene was the same officer who helped the motorist
assist, and it just so happened to be the lady who stole my purse...Those
odds are one in a million. I was very lucky and fortunate. The officers said
she will be in serious trouble and will definitely be doing some time. 
Hopefully in the process of her doing time, her husband will find a law
abiding woman to raise their baby... LOL. I will keep everyone updated. Her
trial is on July 11. I will let you know as I find out more information. 
What an eventful weekend!
Chasity