Shopper recounts vicious attack on 58-year-old woman at Walmart
By Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com The Birmingham News
Birmingham, AL
Lela Campbell watched in horror as two men attacked a 58-year-old woman in the Walmart parking lot, knocking her to the ground and stealing her purse with $1,800 in Christmas money inside.
"I was think something bad was about to happen to this poor lady and I couldn't stop it,'' Campbell told AL.com today. "It was just bizarre."
The ordeal began outside the Montclair Road store about 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Campbell had just finished her shopping and returned her cart when she noticed two men following her. She initially became suspicious because they carried no shopping bags, and seemed to just be loitering in the parking lot. She remembered someone had once said that if you stare at would-be criminals, they would back off because they knew they could be identified and that's just what she did.
"I made sure to stare at them several times,'' Campbell said.
The two men retreated, but lurked in the trees by the cart return. "I knew they were up to no good," she said.
It was there they waited for their next victim, the 58-year-old woman who had parked and was about to walk into the store. Campbell saw the woman walking and felt like something was about to happen, so she tried to pull her car around. Another car was blocking her from behind and she was unable to go anything further.
She pulled out her cell phone to take a picture of the suspects. That is the picture police are now using to help identify the men. As she snapped the picture, the suspects launched their attack. "He slammed her to the ground,'' Campbell said. "It happened really fast."
Birmingham police said the assailants dragged her across the pavement. Campbell called 911 and then tried to follow the suspects as they fled with the victim's purse. "I knew which direction they ran in,'' she said, but she lost sight of them. Another witness said the suspects got into a mid-size silver sedan traveling westbound on Montclair Road.
Other shoppers were tending to the victim when Campbell pulled back around. "There were people consoling her,'' she said. "She was hysterical."
The victim had a large knot on her hip, and some injuries to her hands but a hospital visit Thursday night showed no broken bones. She told police she had just withdrawn the $1,800 from Wells Fargo for her Christmas shopping.
The suspects are described as black men. One was about 5-feet, 10-inches tall, slim build with a medium complexion. The other was about 6-feet, 1-inch tall between 200 and 230 pounds. Police are asking for the public's help in identifying them. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Johnny Brooks at 205-297-8464205-297-8464.
Campbell said the ordeal was frightening, and eye-opening. She said she will no longer carry her purse in to a store, and will continue to be aware of her surroundings. She wants others to do the same.
"I really don't think I could process everything until this morning,'' she said. "People need to be careful, and they need to know it's not safe."
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