Port St. Lucie police are looking for the people responsible for an armed robbery Thursday morning.Investigators said the woman was driving just after 10 a.m. on SW Yale Street when another car bumped her from behind.The victim got out of her car to check for damage and found the other driver pointing a gun at her.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 The suspect got away with the victim’s wallet, credit cards, and cash.Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said this kind of crime is called a “bump and rob.”“They bump into the back of the car. They don’t really cause much damage,” Snyder said. “But it makes the driver get out, have an encounter, try to settle up if there’s been a crash. And then they rob the person.”Snyder said the crime works, because a driver’s natural reaction is to get out of the car after an accident.But he said now a driver’s first response should be to check the surroundings before doing anything.“Look up in your rearview mirror, and if you are not comfortable, maybe see two or three males exit the vehicle, that’s a time to stay in your car, windows up, and call 911,” Snyder said.Snyder said these crimes are more common in larger areas like Miami.It’s the first time he’s heard of it happening on the Treasure Coast.But he believes it will not be the last.“I’m very concerned that it happened so close to my county,” he said. “And the reason I’m concerned is we know from experience once you see something for the first time, invariably, there will be more.”A relative of the victim in Port St. Lucie said she was not injured but was too shaken to speak about the incident.Police said the suspects were driving an older model white Buick.No arrests have been made.Investigators ask anyone with information to call Det. Singleton at 772-344-4314.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Port St. Lucie police are looking for the people responsible for an armed robbery Thursday morning.
Investigators said the woman was driving just after 10 a.m. on SW Yale Street when another car bumped her from behind.
The victim got out of her car to check for damage and found the other driver pointing a gun at her.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
The suspect got away with the victim’s wallet, credit cards, and cash.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said this kind of crime is called a “bump and rob.”
“They bump into the back of the car. They don’t really cause much damage,” Snyder said. “But it makes the driver get out, have an encounter, try to settle up if there’s been a crash. And then they rob the person.”
Snyder said the crime works, because a driver’s natural reaction is to get out of the car after an accident.
But he said now a driver’s first response should be to check the surroundings before doing anything.
“Look up in your rearview mirror, and if you are not comfortable, maybe see two or three males exit the vehicle, that’s a time to stay in your car, windows up, and call 911,” Snyder said.
Snyder said these crimes are more common in larger areas like Miami.
It’s the first time he’s heard of it happening on the Treasure Coast.
But he believes it will not be the last.
“I’m very concerned that it happened so close to my county,” he said. “And the reason I’m concerned is we know from experience once you see something for the first time, invariably, there will be more.”
A relative of the victim in Port St. Lucie said she was not injured but was too shaken to speak about the incident.
Police said the suspects were driving an older model white Buick.
No arrests have been made.
Investigators ask anyone with information to call Det. Singleton at 772-344-4314.
Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok