Pair of Women Robbed of Necklaces in Weekend Muggings

Police are advising residents to avoid wearing jewelry when going on walks after a string of gold necklace snatchings occurred over the weekend.

At about 12:50 p.m. Friday, a woman and her husband were walking on the 500 block of Deep Creek Road when two men yanked a gold necklace off of the woman, according to police.

The victim told police that, “It happened so fast it was hard to realize what was going on,” according to Fremont Police Department spokeswoman Geneva Bosques.

Police said the couple was walking northbound on the road across from the fire station when two men walked past them, turned around, ripped the necklace from the woman’s neck and ran away.

The suspects were described as black male adults between 18 and 20 years old and about 5-foot-6 with skinny builds. One was wearing an oversized black t-shirt, jeans and short hair. The second suspect was wearing a tan nylon zip-up jacket with red stripes, jeans and a multi-colored beanie cap.

A similar strong-arm robbery occurred nearby on the 4900 block of Paseo Padre Parkway on Saturday when a suspect snatched two necklaces off of a woman’s neck and knocked her down.

Police said the victim was walking near the Namaste India grocery store on 4930 Paseo Padre Pkwy. at 3:27 p.m. when a suspect who was walking toward her grabbed her necklaces. The victim tried to grab the suspect but he threw her down in the parking lot, causing her to bump her head on the asphalt.

The suspect was described as a black male between 18 to 20 years old, between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9 with a slender build. He was wearing a red baseball cap, a white jacket and faded red jeans. He ran to a grey or silver American car, possibly a Dodge Intrepid with a partial license plate of “4BY.”

Police believe the same suspect tried to steal another necklace from a victim at Nordvik Park early Sunday evening.

The attempted robbery occurred at about 5:40 p.m. when the female victim was walking home from the Ardenwood pumpkin patch near Nordvik Park, located at 34300 Ardenwood Blvd.

The victim told police that she was waking west on Commerce Drive when she saw a male walking toward her and staring at her. She tried to walk quickly around him but as she passed him, the suspect reached out to grab her necklace.

Police said the victim screamed, scaring the suspect and causing him to run away toward the townhomes nearby. The victim chased after him and the suspect tried took another swipe at her neck but, again, was unsuccessful. The victim continued to chase after the suspect until she lost sight of him at Ardenwood Boulevard.

The suspect was described as a black male about 16-20 years old with a tall thin build, wearing a red shirt, a blue zip-up sweatshirt with white stripes and dark jeans.

While jewelry snatch robberies are not uncommon, it is unusual for so many to happen in this one specific area, Bosques said.

“This is the most concentrated report that we’ve had so far,” Bosques said.

Bosques advises residents to keep their jewelry at home if they are going on walks. She said not to wear fake jewelry because thieves won’t know that it’s fake.

“You’re setting yourself up,” she said.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact the Fremont Police Department at 510-790-6800.

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