Current:Home > InvestA Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old -VisionFunds
A Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old
View
Date:2025-04-14 05:49:25
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! (38715)
Related
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Louisiana advances a bill expanding death penalty methods in an effort to resume executions
- ‘Totally cold’ is not too cold for winter swimmers competing in a frozen Vermont lake
- Fulton County D.A.'s office disputes new Trump claims about Fani Willis' relationship with her deputy Nathan Wade
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- State police: Officers shoot, kill man who fired at them during domestic violence call
- Boyfriend of Ksenia Khavana, Los Angeles ballet dancer detained in Russia, speaks out
- Malia Obama Isn't the Only One With a Stage Name—Check Out These Stars' Real Names
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Seaplane crashes near PortMiami, all 7 passengers escape without injury, officials say
Ranking
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- How Portugal eased its opioid epidemic, while U.S. drug deaths skyrocketed
- New Jersey man acquitted in retrial in 2014 beating death of college student from Tennessee
- Indiana teacher found dead in school stairwell after failing to show for pickup by relative
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- National Rifle Association and Wayne LaPierre found liable in lawsuit over lavish spending
- Jury convicts Southern California socialite in 2020 hit-and-run deaths of two young brothers
- Beauty Blowout Deals: 83% off Perricone MD, Peter Thomas Roth, Tarte Cosmetics, and More + Free Shipping
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
T20 World Cup 2024: Tournament director says cricket matches will be 'very, very exciting'
Department of Defense says high-altitude balloon detected over Western U.S. is hobbyist balloon
Body of nursing student found on a University of Georgia campus; police questioning person of interest
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Guinness strips title from world's oldest dog after 31-year-old age questioned
Single-engine plane crash in southern Ohio kill 3, sheriff’s office says; FAA, NTSB investigating
'Bluey' inspires WWE star Candice LeRae's outfit at 2024 Elimination Chamber in Australia