Current:Home > reviewsA Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old -EverVision Finance
A Virginia woman delivering DoorDash was carjacked at gunpoint by an 11-year-old
View
Date:2025-04-11 17:37:13
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! (1)
Related
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- California Bill Would Hit Oil Companies With $1 Million Penalty for Health Impacts
- Alix Earle Recommended This $8 Dermaplaning Tool and I Had To Try It: Here’s What Happened
- Water, Water Everywhere, Yet Local U.S. Planners Are Lowballing Their Estimates
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Celebrates One Year of Being Alcohol-Free
- Bebe Rexha Shares Alleged Text From Boyfriend Keyan Safyari Commenting on Her Weight
- States Test an Unusual Idea: Tying Electric Utilities’ Profit to Performance
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Have a Hassle-Free Beach Day With This Sand-Resistant Turkish Beach Towel That Has 5,000+ 5-Star Reviews
Ranking
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- When an Actor Meets an Angel: The Love Story of Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin
- Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's Cutest Family Pics With Daughter Malti
- Mining Critical to Renewable Energy Tied to Hundreds of Alleged Human Rights Abuses
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Amid Continuing Drought, Arizona Is Coming up With New Sources of Water—if Cities Can Afford Them
- Biden Power Plant Plan Gives Industry Time, Options for Cutting Climate Pollution
- Come Out to the Coast and Enjoy These Secrets About Die Hard
Recommendation
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Emit Carcinogens and Other Harmful Pollutants, Groundbreaking Study Shows
Throw the Best Pool Party of the Summer with These Essentials: Floats, Games, Music, & More
EPA Proposes to Expand its Regulations on Dumps of Toxic Waste From Burning Coal
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Reliving Every Detail of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Double Wedding
A New Battery Intended to Power Passenger Airplanes and EVs, Explained
Revisit Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez's Love Story After Their Break Up