A Blackberry and some quick thinking could help police solve a weekend robbery at NorthPark Center.
Fleming Longino, of Dallas, used her camera phone to capture what appears to be a Nissan Sentra speeding out of the Neiman Marcus parking lot after a robbery Sunday afternoon.
"I was in the right place, at the right time," she said. "I couldn't quite stop him, but at least I got the picture."
Longino said she moved on instinct.
"It didn't happen to me, so I was able to think logically, and I knew we had to get a picture and a license plate," she said.
According to a Dallas police report, the robber stole a woman's purse as she got into her car outside Neiman Marcus.
"He said, 'May I have your purse?' And I said, 'No, you may not," the victim said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The victim asked not to be identified because she fears the robber -- who has all of her personal information and house keys -- could come after her.
"I was screaming, screaming, screaming, and I think that's what you have to do," the victim said.
It got Longino's attention.
"I kind of ran after him, took the picture and shouted the license plate out for people to hear. There were people around," she said.
NorthPark spokeswoman Victoria Snee said in a statement that the mall considers the robbery "an isolated incident."
"There is no shopping center in North Texas that places a higher priority on the safety and security of our customers," she said.
Longino and the victim both said they are not afraid to shop at NorthPark.
"It just reminds me -- always be conscious, take note of your surroundings, even if you think you are somewhere safe," Longino said.
The getaway car is believed to be a black, four-door Nissan Sentra with tinted windows, chrome wheels and a bumper sticker on the back left bumper. Witnesses were able to give police all but one number of the license plate and reported seeing two people and a dog in the car.
