OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An elderly woman is now out of the hospital after being there for almost a month after she was allegedly robbed and assaulted leaving her bank in Northwest Oklahoma City.
The 71-year-old woman told KFOR she left her Chase Bank with $1,000 cash and drove across the street to CVS. While she was getting out of her car to go inside the store, that’s when two men mugged her.
“I was mad, you know? I mean, they got the money. So why did they want to hurt me? That doesn’t make any sense to me,” said Peggy Strickland.
Strickland said she withdrew the cash from the Chase Bank off of North May and 122nd. That’s when she believes she was followed across the street by two men.
“I was sitting in my truck, counting my money… I jumped out of my truck. I was in a handicapped sticker right there in front of a store and took just a few steps and one guy came up behind me and grabbed the money out of my hand. And then the other guy was trying to get my purse and I was trying to hang on to it for a little bit. But he got it. And they either pushed me or lifted me and threw me,” said Strickland.
The two suspects involved stole her purse, money and phone.
Strickland was in the hospital for almost a month with a fractured hip and knee. She now sits in a wheelchair until she fully heals.
To make matters worse, Strickland is also suffering from leukemia.
“I was diagnosed with leukemia about a little over eight years ago… This is just more icing on the cake,” said Strickland.
She sat in the hospital for about four days before reaching any friends and family because the suspects stole her phone.
“We don’t realize how much we depend on those cell phones for those contacts. And when you don’t have it,” said Strickland.
Police say the two men have not been found.
According to Oklahoma City Police, jugging in this area of Oklahoma City has become a problem and they have advice for people leaving the bank.
“Pay attention to your surroundings. Do not count your cash out in the open where people can see it. If you’re going in a bank and you’re withdrawing cash, you can count it out right there at the counter. But pay attention to who’s around you. If somebody seems suspicious, if they look like they’re watching you or following you, simply stop or call 911,” said MSgt. Gary Knight, with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
If you have any information on who may have been involved, call Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers for a chance at a cash reward. Your anonymous tip could earn you up to $1,000 leading to an arrest.