Imagine the shock of a random stranger getting into your car and attempting to steal it as you sit inside.
The woman told 3News that she wasn't going down without a fight, telling the alleged crook that he chose the wrong vehicle to get into.
60-year-old Yolanda Ramos said that the warning didn't phase the accused assailant who attempted to steal the car. Ramos said the man tried to reach for the keys, but she wasn't going to make it an easy task to accomplish.
"As he got in, he looked at me,” Ramos said. “I grabbed the keys from his hand and yanked them out of the ignition."
Ramos was in the passenger seat of her friend's car which was situated in a parking lost near Ayers and 7th Street. She said the car was parked, while she waited on her friend who went inside the post office. The car was on and the door was unlocked which gave the assailant time to enter the vehicle.
"I said okay he made a mistake then I saw the dog,” Ramos said. “But then he got totally in and he just looked at me and didn't care.”
Ramos jumped out of the car after grabbing the keys and continued to yell at him to get out.
"When he finally got out he shut the door and started walking away casually,” Ramos said. “I followed him, yelled at him, and took pictures of him."
According to Ramos, she hopes the man is found quickly. Ramos called police and alerted the postal service about the incident.
“I worry about the elderly here,” Ramos said. “This is a place, where they say come retire, it's Corpus Christi, what am I retiring to? Now I have to fight and worry and walk the streets scared.”
Ramos adds that the event taught her about the importance of safety, and how quickly theft can occur. She hopes that by putting the man on social media she can have some identification of who he is.
"Unfortunately, we live in a day in age where you have to lock your car, even if you are inside it,” Lt. Michael Pena with CCPD said. “If something like that happens obviously you have to have the doors locked, be aware of your surroundings, and lock the door if they aren't already locked."
The images Ramos uploaded quickly got media traction with many residents commenting that they have seen the man around town in numerous locations. Ramos advises those that if it can happen to her then it can happen to anyone.
"Lock it, if you’re a grandmother, lock it, because I'm not little and he got in like I wasn't even there,” Ramos said.
If you have any information about this case, you are encouraged to call police. Ramos provided her Case# 2201180067 for reference.
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