Fort Worth police are searching for the man they say assaulted and robbed a 19-year-old woman early Thursday morning.
The attack happened outside the Watermarke Apartments just before three in the morning. According to police, the victim was walking her friend’s dogs when the man approached demanding her phone and purse. When she refused, he began to beat her with a pistol, striking her over the head three times, police say.
"Looking at the photos it was a severe injury and we are shocked that this happened,” Officer Ivan Gomez with Fort Worth Police said.
LaQuita Richie lives at the Watermarke Apartments.
"It makes me feel really uncomfortable. Like, it makes me want to go talk to the people in the office," Richie said.
Residents forwarded NBC5 an email from the apartment complex, which was sent on the same day of the attack.
"It will likely be some time before we have a full picture of what transpired," the email read in part. "Please know that we are in full cooperation with local law enforcement, and are continuing to stay in contact with our local beat patrol, with whom we have had a longstanding relationship."
Richie says while she's lived in the surrounding neighborhood her entire life, this serves a reminder to exercise caution and to stay alert.
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"That’s anywhere. It doesn’t matter where you stay. If you’re walking that late, you never know what’s going to happen so it’s best to take somebody with you," she told NBC5.
Gomez says detectives have made contact with one witness and are optimistic they will be able to track down the suspect.
