Current:Home > ScamsA Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old -GlobalInvest
A Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:27:47
A woman was delivering a DoorDash order in Virginia when she said she was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old and a young adult.
Deon Smith, 40, told Scripps News Richmond she was making a delivery to an apartment complex in South Richmond after midnight on Nov. 30 when she was approached by two people.
"When I was going inside I saw two kids outside," Smith told the outlet. "The little one approached me. I was thinking he was asking for money or something, but little did I know he was pointing a gun at me asking for my keys."
Scripps News reported that Smith tried to de-escalate the situation with the child that she later learned was 11 years old.
"When he told me that he was going to shoot me I was like, 'Are you serious? You want to kill somebody at your age,'" she said. "I was asking, ‘Where is your mom?’ and ‘Why are you out here this time of night?’"
She had kept her car running as made the delivery, and as she was in an exchange with the 11-year-old, the older suspect got in her driver's seat and called out for the child to get in.
In a statement released to USA Today a DoorDash spokesperson said: “Helping Dashers feel safe and supported is a top priority. This violent behavior has absolutely no place on our platform. We have reached out to the Dasher to offer our support and are in contact with local law enforcement to assist their investigation in any way we can.”
The statement went on to emphasis that DoorDash has a 24/7 Trust & Safety team available to assist dashers or community members in emergency situations.
Carjacking's on the rise:FBI agent carjacked at gunpoint in Washington D.C. amid city's rise in stolen vehicles
Police say suspects crashed and totaled car
Smith, whose full-time job is as a home health care nurse said the pair told her to also get in but she refused. Instead, she called the police, who an hour later told her that her car had been involved in an accident and had been totaled.
According to a GoFundMe site made on her behalf by family members of patients Smith has looked after as a homecare nurse, Smith had paid her car off just two months prior. The GoFundMe is raising money to help Smith get to work.
"Because she currently has no car, she is unable to get to her jobs, which makes it challenging to support herself and her 10-year-old daughter. All money raised from this will go directly to Deon so she can get to jobs, and support herself and her daughter," the page said.
The Richmond Police Department did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment but confirmed to Scripps News that two suspects, an 18-year-old and the 11-year-old were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash.
They were discharged from the hospital and arrested. They face robbery charges.
Smith told Scripps News that she was just grateful to have survived the harrowing incident.
"Just pray and ask God to protect at all costs, just to keep life, because a car can be replaced, but you cannot be," she said.
veryGood! (45531)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Controversial BLM Chief Pendley’s Tenure Extended Again Without Nomination, Despite Protests
- BelVita Breakfast Sandwich biscuits recalled after reports of allergic reactions
- Confidential Dakota Pipeline Memo: Standing Rock Not a Disadvantaged Community Impacted by Pipeline
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- At least 2 dead, 28 wounded in mass shooting at Baltimore block party, police say
- Elon Musk issues temporary limit on number of Twitter posts users can view
- Firework injuries send people to hospitals across U.S. as authorities issue warnings
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Shop the Best 2023 Father's Day Sales: Get the Best Deals on Gifts From Wayfair, Omaha Steaks & More
Ranking
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
- Lionel Messi Announces Move to Major League Soccer, Rejecting $400 Million Offer From Saudi Arabia
- What's closed and what's open on the Fourth of July?
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Alligator attacks and kills woman who was walking her dog in South Carolina
- Environmental Justice Grabs a Megaphone in the Climate Movement
- Vanderpump Rules: Raquel Leviss Wanted to Be in a Throuple With Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix
Recommendation
Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
Oil Investors Call for Human Rights Risk Report After Standing Rock
Former Exxon Scientists Tell Congress of Oil Giant’s Climate Research Before Exxon Turned to Denial
Lala Kent Reacts to Raquel Leviss' Tearful Confession on Vanderpump Rules Reunion
'Most Whopper
‘This Is Not Normal.’ New Air Monitoring Reveals Hazards in This Maine City.
Human torso brazenly dropped off at medical waste facility, company says
Vanderpump Rules Reunion: Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' Affair Comes to a Shocking Conclusion