Posted on March 16, 2023

Asian Woman Is Body Slammed to the Ground by Robber Who Followed Her 23 Miles From Houston ATM

Andrea Cavallier, Daily Mail, March 13, 2023

A mother of three has been left paralyzed after she was body slammed by a robber who allegedly watched her withdraw money from an ATM and followed her for 23 miles.

Vietnamese Nhung Truong, 44, was attacked on February 13 by a black man in his early 20s in what Houston police believe was a jugging incident – where assailants stake out unsuspecting victims.

The horrifying moment was caught on surveillance video as the suspect is seen wrapping the woman in a violent bear hug until she drops her belongings, which included passports for an upcoming trip back home.

The robber then body slammed her to the ground, which resulted in a life-changing spinal cord injury. Now, cops say they need the public’s help identifying the suspect.

Houston police said Truong had withdrawn money from the Bank of America on Blackhawk Boulevard in Houston and was followed by the suspect nearly 24 miles away to a shopping center on Bellaire around 11:30 a.m.

In the video, the thief could be seen snatching an envelope that police believe he thought was Truong’s cash from her scattered belongings. He began to flee but then turns around and body slammed Truong to the ground.

The family told FOX 26 that the robber made off with about $4,300. They said Truong had been saving up the money to visit her family in Vietnam.

The traumatic incident has left Truong paralyzed and in a wheelchair, unable to walk or use the bathroom without help.

‘It’s not a big loss of the money,’ her daughter Linh Duong said. ‘The big loss is her leg.’

Now the single mother of three children, who are 13, 15, and 20, now relies on them for help.

‘I’m feeling very horrible and sad at the same time,’ Truong said. ‘They don’t know when my leg can walk again.’

Nearly a month has passed since the attack and Truong is in rehab, holding onto hope that she’ll be able to walk again. She said she just wants people to be aware of what can happen.

‘I just need to practice, try to walk and stuff,’ Truong said. ‘I’m very sad that this happened to me and I just want to let people know to be careful.’

Houston police believe this was a jugging incident, which involves thieves staking unsuspecting victims, like at an ATM, before following them and robbing and sometimes attacking them at the right moment.

Her children said they are worried about how their family will get by.

‘I can still go to school, but my mind is just messed up thinking about her, worrying that nobody is going to watch out for her,’ An Duong, Truong’s son, said.

Her other daughter Van Duong said they were told by the doctors that there’s only a 50 percent chance Truong will fully recover.

‘It’s been really bad. We have to pay rent and stuff and she’s the only one that can work and help us,’ she said. ‘We don’t know what to do.

‘If a miracle happens then she can walk again,’ Van added.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Truong’s family to help pay for her medical expenses. The fundraiser has already reached $20,000 of a $50,000 goal as of Monday night.

The suspect is described as a black male in his early 20s, approximately 5’8′ and weighing 140 lbs, according to the Houston police. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Original Article