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Thankfully she is ok...! Awful situation..

I assume the police advised you about canceling credit cards, etc.... The one real worry is that now some thugs have her ID and know her address. Probably not a huge threat of them coming back, but.....

I was VP of my HOA for a few years. We were a gated community and it AMAZED me how many people thought the gate was some impregnable barrier. We had our share of car break-ins, and the worst of it was when a car window got busted and the thieves used the garage door remote to get in the house... Thankfully nobody was home. Gates are dangerous for the false sense of security they give you..

It's awful that the world has become a place where you have to live in condition yellow or orange every day, but hopefully she'll be better aware of her surroundings going forward...

Tossing the bag and keys and running was the right thing to do.
Keep a close eye on her for signs of PTSD.

Thomas wrote:After making the mistake of exiting her car, she made no other mistakes. She probably prevented a second crime by running instead of laying down.

I absolutely disagree that getting out of her car was a mistake. It may well have saved her life. Granted, she should not have pulled in to the parking space, but once she did she was trapped. If she remains in the car the bad guys can open the door and get in beside her or shoot her through the window. Her best option is to do what she did; get out of the car, throw the purse and keys away and run as fast as she can. Once she realized the situation she was in, she did the best thing she could have done under the circumstances.

Now, Dad needs to help her understand situational awareness and try to convince her to get her CHL, but that's a different story.

I asked my wife tonight what she would do if she thought that she was being followed. (This is not at all uncommon these days.) She said, "I would make four right turns. If the car was still behind me I would drive straight to the police station." That is the right answer. The only thing I would add is, go to the police station during daylight hours and locate the front door. Have a plan to drive right up to the front and park directly in front of the door. Drawing attention to yourself in that situation could save your life, especially if the idiots are still following you.

HankB wrote:I'm glad your daughter wasn't hurt.

I'm puzzled by this, though:

The perps made off with about $10.00 cash, a credit card, cell phone, and a $600 purse.

$600? For a PURSE?

I'm sure your SO would say, "$600? for a GUN?" Yeah, some purses and handbags go for thousands of dollars. $600 is actually on the lower end of the price scale for a designer purse.

Glad your daughter is unhurt,

What kind of flashlight do you carry? /tangent

I found myself being followed one night as I was driving to a party. I did some twists and turns and they stayed behind me. I then being in an unfamilar area ended up turning onto a dead end street and they came up behind me and stopped. I climbed out of my truck having grabbed a tire iron from under the seat.
Turned out it was someone who knew me and was looking for the same party but it was a scary experience.
Don't let yourself get boxed if you can avoid it. If being followed head to the nearest police or fire station if you know where it is.

I am glad to hear your daughter was ok, living in an apartment I worry about this kind of thing happening a lot

You should be proud that she was wise enough to throw down the stuff and get out of dodge! Very glad she's safe.

G192627 wrote:What kind of flashlight do you carry? /tangent

I was wondering the same thing
Glad your daughter is safe. And thanks for posting. Made me realize that I need to have a conversation with my wife tonight.

Oldgringo wrote:

HankB wrote:I'm glad your daughter wasn't hurt.

I'm puzzled by this, though:

The perps made off with about $10.00 cash, a credit card, cell phone, and a $600 purse.

$600? For a PURSE?

I also was wonderin' about that $10 bill in a $600 purse but being the quintessential gentleman that I am...

In my short time on the planet, I have learned not to even ask.

Back on topic. Other than being caught off guard she did great. I believe the saying "Experience is the best teacher; unfortunately she gives the test before the lesson" applies here.

Lefty:

We may assume that this happened in a Texas city/town, but can't know for sure.

Can you verify in which city this happened so other forum members may be aware?

When your daugher gets her CHL, which gun will she keep on body (instead of in the purse?).

SIA

It good that your daughter is OK! Now getting everything canceled but its also good to have the door lock changed on her apartment. Locks can be re-keyed very cheaply and will make the key she lost useless.

This is one of the reasons why I feel it's better to have a holster on the body instead of keeping it in a purse or briefcase.

Bad guys often demand for your purse or bag before doing anything else.

What do most of the women here do?

I am glad your daughter is safe. Terrible and frightening story. I hate how brazen these criminals have become. Hopefully those two scumbags will get arrested soon before they physically hurt someone.

Thanks to everyone for the responses! I agree with Baldeagle and others, given her situation, that she did the right thing by getting out of the car, throwing her "stuff" on the ground, and running. She should have been more aware of what was going on and not assumed that the other vehicle was just "dropping someone off". The area she parks in does not circle the complex. It is a dead end (not good).
Her apartment is located near North Park Mall in Dallas (Cityscape Apartments). I am not sure of the exact location because I have not been there. (I do not go to Dallas if I can help it!)
911 was called and the police did come. Evidently, the gas station where they tried to use the card had video cameras. I understand the police will have to subpoena the video records. Not sure if that is going to happen.
Of some consolation, she did get her purse back. I guess the idiots did not realize what they had and decided to throw it in the ditch. Someone found the purse and it still had my daughter's student ID in it. The person contacted my daughter via Facebook and arrangements were made to return the purse (in a public place).
We are planning a trip to the range in the very near future. She has very little experience with firearms, therefore, we will be starting from scratch. I am looking forward to it. I will keep y'all posted of any new developments in the case.

Thanks again for the support,
Lefty