Armed robber stole purse
There have been several robberies recently.
Published Jan. 30, 2009
A 19-year-old Columbia woman was robbed Tuesday night in Columbia in the 200 block of Unity Drive by a man she had met a short time earlier.
The suspect showed the victim a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded money around 10 p.m.
The victim tried to stall the robbery, but the suspect grabbed the victim's purse and ran away, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department.
The victim described the suspect as a 5-foot-9-inch male who is in his mid-20s.
The suspect was wearing a tan jacket and a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and
To avoid being robbed, Columbia Police Department officer Jessica Haden said it is important to stay alert and calm in unsafe situations.
"I want to make myself look like a hard target. I want to look like a very unattractive victim," Haden said. "I want to stand tall, make eye contact with people, see what's going on."
Robbery, technically classified as a property crime, is considered a violent crime by the police department because of its nature.
Burglaries were also common in Columbia last year.
"Burglaries are way, way up," Haden said. "The unfortunate thing is that we actually have to be responsible for that."
Haden said she tells people to behave the way they would want their children to behave. She said people should be careful and use the buddy system.
Police advise residents to be as safe as possible and not to put themselves in dangerous situations.
"Safety comes first and being polite has to take second," Haden said. "If someone sneaks up on you, give them your stuff. You can get more stuff. You can't have another life."
