The victim of a Dallas armed robbery is speaking out a day after police arrest a suspect in the case.
"I get out of the car, I'm putting my keys in the thing, I'm closing the door and the guy just directly comes at me," said Adrian Padilla, the victim in an uptown robbery.
In a matter of seconds, Padilla's life was in danger. He was parked in an Office Depot parking lot on Oaklawn near Dickason in Uptown about a week ago. His plan was to meet some friends nearby, but an armed robber had another idea.
"The guy bum rushes me and he has the gun and he's like, 'Don't you scream, don't you scream,'" said Padilla. "'Give me everything you got.' And I just take out my wallet and I just kind of throw it at him."
All Padilla had in his wallet was his identification and a pre-paid debit card. The thief forced him back into his car and made him drive to a Bank of America ATM off of Haskell and US 75. When the card didn't work there, the robber made Padilla drive to the Neighborhood Walmart nearby to get the money from a cashier.
"He's standing there the entire time and there's the cameras above the thing," Padilla said. "I get the money out and he walks right next to me. He goes, 'Don't give me the money now.'"
The robber took the money once they got back to the car, then had Padilla drop him off near Hall and US 75.
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It's an experience Padilla won't soon forget, but it helps to know police now have a suspect in custody. The suspect may also be responsible for a similar armed robbery involving a woman in uptown the day after Padilla was robbed.
"I'm very relieved," Padilla said. "Am I at ease going out anymore? Not really."
At least the night of the robbery, Padilla knows someone was watching over him. "I'm extremely glad I didn't get shot."
Padilla will go to Dallas Police headquarters to pick the suspect out of a photo line-up. Until then, police will not release the suspect's name or picture.
