Current:Home > FinanceA Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old -MarketLink
A Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old
Charles H. Sloan View
Date:2025-04-10 00:55:41
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! (92)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Famed American sculptor Richard Serra, the ‘poet of iron,’ has died at 85
- Elle Fanning Debuts Her Most Dramatic Hair Transformation Yet
- Reseeding the Sweet 16: March Madness power rankings of the teams left in NCAA Tournament
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Bird flu is spreading in a few states. Keeping your bird feeders clean can help
- Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?
- Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Utah women's basketball team experienced 'racial hate crimes' during NCAA Tournament
Ranking
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Pregnant Chick-fil-A manager killed in crash with prison transport van before baby shower
- When is Opening Day? 2024 MLB season schedule, probable pitchers
- Jhené Aiko announces 2024 tour: How to get tickets to Magic Hour Tour
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- New concussion guidelines could get athletes back to exercise, school earlier
- Sinking Coastal Lands Will Exacerbate the Flooding from Sea Level Rise in 24 US Cities, New Research Shows
- 2 pilots taken to hospital after Army helicopter crashes during training in Washington state
Recommendation
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
Oil and Gas Executives Blast ‘LNG Pause,’ Call Natural Gas a ‘Destination Fuel’
'GASP': Behind the shocking moment that caused Bachelor nation to gush in Season 28 finale
Trader Joe's bananas: Chain is raising price of fruit for first time in 20 years
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Geoengineering Faces a Wave of Backlash Over Regulatory Gaps and Unknown Risks
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight could be pro fight or exhibition: What's the difference?
NFL to play Christmas doubleheader despite holiday landing on Wednesday in 2024