STOCKTON-
A 7-month-old girl was hurt when her stroller was tipped over as a gold chain was ripped from her mother’s neck in Stockton.
The little girl suffered scratches and bruises, as did her mother who struggled with the suspect. Both were examined by a doctor today and the injuries were not deemed serious.
The mother said she was walking down the street and saw a thin African-American teenager sitting on a grassy area. She said the suspect was about 5 feet 7 inches tall who was wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans and red tennis shoes.
The robbery happened in the Weston Ranch suburb of Stockton which has seen an epidemic of such incidents. The police department put out an advisory the same day as the robbery warning residents to keep gold jewelry under clothing or take them off in public.
Police say since over the past month they’ve had nearly a robbery a day of gold chains worn by the victims. Last year there were over 200 such robberies. During the winter the robberies subsided when people began to wear more scarves and coats. The arrests of several suspects who were responsible for multiple robberies also reduced the number incidents.
But gold chain robberies resumed with the onset of warmer weather when jewelry is once again exposed. Police say it shows how violent gold chain robberies can be if the robber had no regard for the safety of a 7 month old child.
Last fall a Stockton man was shot and his gold chain stolen as he was walking around a neighborhood park.
