Houston police are searching for a man who followed and then robbed a woman shortly after she withdrew cash from a bank in Chinatown.
Nhung Truong, a 44-year-old mother of three from Vietnam, went to the Bank of America at 9875 Blackhawk Boulevard and withdrew a large amount of money for an upcoming trip before driving 24 miles to the 9800 block of Bellaire, where the robbery took place at around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 13, according to reports.
In surveillance footage, Truong can be seen walking in front of a shopping center before a man approaches her and grabs her from behind, causing her to drop her belongings. The man then grabs what he thinks is an envelope of money before running off.
However, once he realizes that he snatched the wrong item, he returns and picks Truong up before slamming her to the ground. He then grabs the actual envelope of cash before fleeing the scene.
Truong, who was hospitalized, suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
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She is currently in a wheelchair as she is unable to walk or go to the bathroom on her own.
“It’s not a big loss of the money. The big loss is her leg,” Truong’s daughter, Linh Duong, told KHOU.
Truong, who is in rehab to learn how to walk, says she does not know when she will be able to walk again.
“I just need to practice, try to walk and stuff,” she said. “I’m very sad that this happened to me and I just want to let people know to be careful.”
Truong’s family has set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help raise funds for her medical expenses.
According to Duong, her mother was planning on purchasing plane tickets to Vietnam for their family before the robbery happened. It has been seven years since Truong last visited her hometown.
The doctors say that this injury has affected my mother’s left leg, currently making her a disabled person. She is currently unable to walk and requires round-the-clock care. As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly challenging time for both my mom and our family. Not only are we dealing with the emotional trauma of what happened, but we are also struggling with the financial burdens of her ongoing care.
According to police, the suspect is described as a Black man in his early 20s weighing 140 pounds and standing at around 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall.
He is believed to have observed Truong at the bank before following her to Bellaire.
Individuals with any information regarding the robbery are urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or by submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org. Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of the suspect may result in a cash payment of up to $5,000.
