Crooks target women at gas stations

NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- "Just thinking about what happened to me here, I was very scared," said one of the victims.

At 2:15 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon a white Chevy Impala follows a blue Honda Pilot into a gas station in Northeast Miami-Dade. The thieves waited in the car until the woman with a 1-year-old child sleeping in the back seat, got out of the car to pump gas.

The crooks then pulled up to the side of the vehicle.

"I didn't know that this could happen," said the victim. "I was pumping gas and just looking at the gas pump."

They pulled open the passenger side door and stole the woman's pocketbook containing all of her personal information.

"What if they decided to take the keys cause the keys were in the vehicle?" said Detective Adam Shahan of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "Then we have an abduction situation. This is very very dangerous."

"I felt like a victim," said the woman. "I feel very violated. I want people to be aware and to be careful."

It's happened numerous times at the gas station located at 1550 Ives Dairy Road. In February a woman was attacked by thieves who tried taking her purse. The crooks nearly ran her over with their car, dragging the woman a few feet.

A similar incident occurred in April 2011.

"They usually look for a woman to prey on," said Shahan. "Usually when she's alone in the vehicle."

The best clue for police right now is the white Chevy Impala. If you have any information on this crime or the suspects car, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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