From purse snatchings to robberies, some people in Frisco are on edge over recent crimes.
They're not all connected but police say several robberies and thefts have one thing in common: The victims are South Asian women.
Tuesday, police announced they'll host a town hall on Wednesday focusing on personal safety and crime prevention. It’ll take place at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and space is limited, police said in a social media post.
Laxmi Tummala, a trustee with the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, says people in the community are concerned.
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“Doing such a thing as just going for a walk and have somebody approach you is scary,” said Tummala.
The Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple is located on Independence Parkway near the Regents Park area where police say for four robberies and thefts have happened between mid-September and last week. The victims are predominantly South Asian women in their 50s and 60s, police said.
“It strikes a nerve within the Indian community, you know, they are targeting the Indian community for a reason,” said Tummala.
In each case, police say the suspects – a man and a woman -- used conversation to approach their target, then placed jewelry on the victim before removing it along with the victim's own necklace.
“It's a simple necklace. It surprises me that it’s what these people want to go after but it’s just a simple necklace that we wear to represent that somebody is a married woman,” said Tummala.
Police released an image of the suspects' dark-colored SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Traverse, following the two thefts reported last week.
But it isn't just those crimes that have prompted Frisco police to call the town hall.
In a home invasion on Grandview Drive at about 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 15, police say a victim reported that suspects forced entry into their home and assaulted multiple members of the household with a weapon, restrained them and took a large sum of cash prior to leaving.
On Nov. 14, there was a purse snatching outside Target on El Dorado Parkway. Then minutes later, police say a 71-year-old woman was injured outside H-E-B on Main Street when a suspect tried grabbing the purse around her neck.
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“Take precautions now that you know what’s going on. Do everything you can to be safe and be vigilant,” said Tummala, who added she’s thankful for the police response and wants people to keep things in perspective. “I think caution without fear, extreme fear, is really what's needed in the community right now. Just be cautious, be vigilant but don't let it affect your daily life,” she said.
