Woman assaulted, robbed in parking deck at SouthPark mall

Police are investigating after a woman was assaulted and robbed in the parking deck at SouthPark mall.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking deck outside Nordstrom, police said. The victim, a 56-year-old woman, said a man hit her in the face and stole multiple items.

“I’m at the mall at two o clock in the afternoon, going to my car, and I’m just blindsided. I was literally sucker-punched,” explained the woman.

According to the police report, the items that were stolen, including a diamond ring, car keys, purse and sunglasses, were worth several thousand dollars.

The woman said she never saw the attack coming.

“I saw people getting into their cars as I was approaching my car. I was totally aware of my surroundings and this came out of nowhere. There was nothing I could have done to prevent it,” said the woman.

Police said the robber then left in another vehicle toward Barclay Downs Drive.

No description of the robber has been released.

The victim still has scratches and bruises from the incident. She said she is lucky to be alive, but is worried about her personal safety now.

“It’s scary as hell that this is what’s happening and that you can’t feel safe. I can’t feel safe going to the mall.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2017 at 6:29 AM with the headline "Woman assaulted, robbed in parking deck at SouthPark mall."