Fayetteville woman says robber held a gun to her head
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Authorities in Fayetteville have released a sketch of a possible suspect involved in an armed robbery outside a woman's home.
The release comes a day after Darlene Ransom told ABC11 about staring down the barrel of a gun with one thought running through her head.
"I'm gone with that bullet, and I knew that," she said as tears welled in her eyes.
"It wasn't pointed here. It wasn't pointed here. It wasn't pointed here," she continued, moving her arms around in a shooting stance, until her trigger fingers pointed to her head. "It was pointed here. I knew I would not survive. "
Fayetteville Police are investigating the armed robbery that took place in Ransom's garage just before 8 p.m. on September 15. The incident occurred in the Huntington Subdivision off Morganton Road where Ransom and her husband have lived for more than two decades.
On that particular evening, Ransom said she left yoga a bit later than usual. She pulled into her driveway and talked on the phone with her future daughter-in-law for about ten minutes. The driveway was a good place to talk because she could keep her cell signal.
Ransom, 57, admits she was oblivious to her surroundings, including the man she believes watched her from the shrubbery during her entire phone conversation.
When Ransom pulled into her garage, she stepped out and met her attacker, who she said was crouched next to her driver's side door.
"As I stood up, he stood up with me. Just like this," Ransom described, rising slowly from a kneeling position. "I was paralyzed in fear."
Fear is what made Ransom comply with her attacker's one order: "Give me your purse." As she reached into the passenger seat, Ransom said she didn't take her eyes off the gun or the man. He was dressed in tan from head to toe, masked, and wore multi-colored contact lenses, she told detectives.
"I felt as if he'd done this before," Ransom said, noting the attacker remained calm and calculated during their exchange.
When Ransom handed over her designer purse, she said the man wanted her cell phone. She explained it was in the purse, and then she screamed. That's when her husband Mike, who usually comes home after her, heard her from the kitchen. He came through a garage door along with the couple's 80 pound boxer and ran after the man.
The couple believes Ransom's attacker thought she was home alone. Startled, they say he took off into the neighborhood woods. Ransom's phone was not traceable because it was disabled shortly after the attack, she said. Employees at a local restaurant have told investigators that one of Ransom's gift cards was recently used, and the man who purchased a meal with the card was accompanied by a woman carrying a designer bag similar to Ransom's stolen bag.
Employees of the local restaurant were able to describe the suspect, allowing authorities to have the sketch done.
The suspect was described to be a black male with light brown, thin build, approximately 140-160 lbs., and approximately 5'11" - 6'01".
Ransom has run through the scenario in her mind over and over, wondering if the man had followed her and learned her routine. If so, how long had he been watching her, and why?
"I honestly can't even tell you which way I came home (that evening)," she said. "I was just in my own little world."
FPD detectives, who stress knowing your surroundings, also told Ransom to take her personalized license plate and other identifying information off her car. In this case, she may have been easily targeted and tracked.
Newly installed security cameras now surround the Ransom home. Routines have changed, and paranoia has set in.
Ransom said she is no doubt changed. Her feeling of security is non-existent, and she's no longer in her own world. She's watching everyone else.
"Get out of the car, get in the house," Ransom advised. "Watch your surroundings. Look behind you. Look beside you."
"You can't take anything for granted," she continued. "You can't take your safety for granted."
Meanwhile, detectives are still investigating the robbery.
Anyone with information regarding the robbery or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Detective R. DeShields with the Fayetteville Police Department at (910) 580-3016 or Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477).
Crimestoppers information can also be submitted electronically, by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet or by text-a-tip on your mobile device by sending a message to 274637 (in the text box type "4Tip" followed by your message).
