Current:Home > MarketsA Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old -Visionary Wealth Guides
A Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old
View
Date:2025-04-14 21:17:41
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! (8882)
Related
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Search for survivors in Baltimore bridge collapse called off as effort enters recovery phase
- Police investigate death of girl whose body was found in pipe after swimming at a Texas hotel
- NFL approves significant changes to kickoffs, hoping for more returns and better safety
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Is the April 2024 eclipse safe for pets? Why experts want you to leave them at home.
- Trader Joe's raises banana price for the first time in more than two decades
- DJT had a good first day: Trump's Truth Social media stock price saw rapid rise
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Famed American sculptor Richard Serra, the ‘poet of iron,’ has died at 85
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Zendaya's Hairstylist Ursula Stephen Reveals the All-Star Details Behind Her Blonde Transformation
- Jason Dickinson scores twice as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 3-1
- Trial date set in August for ex-elected official accused of killing Las Vegas journalist
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight could be pro fight or exhibition: What's the difference?
- One month out, New Orleans Jazz Fest begins preparations for 2024 event
- Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a pacemaker, becomes 'a little bit more of a machine'
Recommendation
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Brittany Snow Details “Completely” Shocking Divorce From Tyler Stanaland
A giant ship. A power blackout. A scramble to stop traffic: How Baltimore bridge collapsed
What to know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore that left at least 6 presumed dead
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Facebook pokes making a 2024 comeback: Here's what it means and how to poke your friends
Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Good Friday 2024? Here's what to know
Yellen says China’s rapid buildout of its green energy industry ‘distorts global prices’