A woman was robbed at knifepoint while taking out her trash Thursday morning, raising new concerns about crime in in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas.
The area also saw a string of violent robberies in the fall. In mid-October, a man was beaten so badly during a robbery while walking to his house that paramedics thought he had been shot.
"Robberies are always of particular concern," Dallas Police Deputy Chief Malik Aziz said.
But Aziz, who oversees crime in the Oak Lawn, also provided crime statistics that show that robberies in the area are down 27 percent compared to the same time last year.
"We have increased patrols over the last month and a half, more so than what we've had all year," he said. "We are putting a lot of resources into making sure that the Oak Lawn/Cedar Springs area stays safe."
The woman was robbed at about 9 a.m. near Lemmon and Bowser avenues while she was on her way to work.
"He held the knife straight at my throat and said to give him the purse," said the 38-year old victim, who asked not to be identified.
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The woman said the man, who was hiding between the dumpster and a wooden fence that surrounds it, threw her to ground.
"I just went to throw the trash out," she said. "You would never think anything like that would happen to you."
She said the man stole her designer purse, iTouch and her sense of security.
"It has changed the way I look at things and, you know, I don't know if I will get over this," she said. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I learned my lesson, that's for sure."
Police say they have a strong lead in the case and are optimistic that they will make an arrest.
