Woman beaten and robbed in Vallejo parking lot
An Asian woman was robbed and beaten as she left a fast food restaurant in Vallejo, her family said Monday.
Vallejo, California – An Asian woman was robbed and beaten as she left a fast food restaurant in Vallejo, her family said Monday.
Enelia Prez, 71, is being treated in hospital after being attacked after leaving the Jollibee Filipino restaurant in Vallejo Plaza near Sonoma Boulevard and Redwood Street around 7 p.m. Sunday.
“He walked up to her and grabbed her purse. She struggled and tried to pull it back,” said stepson Dennis Perez. He said the robbery had become persistent and violent.
“Then he hit her on the head with a blunt object and she fell,” he said.
Her 82-year-old husband witnessed the attack.
“At that point, my father saw him run right and jump into the car, and he sped off and drove away,” he said.
The robber fled with a wallet containing money and identification.
The family remains vigilant at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo. Her doctor said she was bleeding in her brain.
“Really cowardly,” he said.
The victim, her husband, and some friends had gone to see the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. They decided to stop by Jollibee for a bite.
She is the latest Asian victim to be attacked in the Bay Area.
“You hear about it all the time, but when it comes to personal things, something really needs to be done about this. I mean it’s ridiculous,” said the stepson.
Vallejo Plaza is home to shops and restaurants popular with the Filipino community. Shoppers said they were concerned about attacks.
Asians “are attacked all the time. I don’t know why. It’s not fair,” Vallejo’s Vilma Frodeliz said. “We are not safe anymore. We are not safe at all.”
Vallejo’s Layla Adams said, “You don’t have to be Asian. It can happen to anyone, regardless of race. This is terrible because it shouldn’t happen to anyone.”