Houston Uptown robbery victim says she was abducted from her own office

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston police need the public’s help identifying a suspect wanted for robbery by threat and kidnapping an elderly woman.

The incident happened on April 28, around 5:10 p.m. in the Uptown area, according to HPD’s robbery division.

Police say an elderly woman was working by herself in an office building when the suspect entered the office, forcibly grabbed her by the neck and demanded her purse.

“I was abducted in my own office,” says the woman, who didn’t want to be identified.

The woman complied with the suspect and gave him her purse from a desk drawer. Police say the suspect went through the purse, removed some cash and asked the woman if she had a bank card.

According to HPD, the suspect demanded the woman drive him to the bank to withdraw money from her account.

“There wasn’t anybody else around, so I was just trying to comply, so he would leave…so I would still be in one piece,” she said.

In fear for her safety, the woman complied. Police say the suspect told her not to talk to anyone as they walked to her vehicle. He followed her out and forced her to drive to the bank, located in the 4300 block of San Felipe, HPD said.

When they arrived at the bank, the suspect forced the woman to withdraw $500 from her account, police said. He then demanded she drive him back to the office building, where he got into his vehicle and fled the scene.

Police say he was driving an older model, small, silver vehicle.

“The part that bothers me is he followed up saying not to do anything, or he would come back and harm her,” said Officer Jeff Brieden with the Houston Police Robbery Division.

HPD describes the suspect as a Black male, 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, and 150 pounds. He was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and a face mask during the robbery.

Please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app, if you have any information related to this investigation. Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any felony suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000.