Two Memphis teenagers were held at gunpoint Monday while sitting in their family car outside the Family Dollar at Crump and Third, according to their mother. She says a group of young men walked up, pulled handguns with extended magazines and ordered the teens to hand over the keys to the family’s 2018 Ford Fiesta before speeding off.
The mother says the robbers took cash, the kids' belongings and prom decorations for her oldest son. The family says they are still badly shaken by what happened.
Family Members Describe A Parking Lot Holdup
Val Walker told WREG that her two teenage sons were waiting in the car while she was inside the store when several young men came up and demanded the keys.
Walker said her 14-year-old was forced to hand over his shoes while the thieves grabbed about $30 from the younger boy’s pocket. Her purse, which she says held nearly $1,200, was also taken. On top of that, the oldest son’s prom decorations disappeared with the car.
According to Walker, surveillance footage from the parking lot provided by the family has been turned over to investigators.
How Police Tracked The Stolen Ford Fiesta
Police used a license-plate camera to spot the stolen Ford Fiesta, then officers from the Crump station chased the car until it crashed at Walker Avenue and College Park Drive, where three of the four suspects were taken into custody, according to WREG.
Walker told investigators her car was totaled when police recovered it. “They’re traumatized,” she said of her sons, as the family continues to process the attack.
Dollar Store Parking Lots Keep Showing Up In Crime Reports
Discount retailers and their parking lots have surfaced repeatedly in recent Memphis crime reports, a pattern that local outlets and residents have been watching closely. Hoodline has documented similar incidents at Family Dollar locations around the city, raising concerns about safety for low-wage workers and nearby shoppers; see similar Family Dollar stickups for background.
What Police Say Happens Next
The Memphis Police Department says the investigation is active and that detectives are reviewing video and following leads. Anyone with footage or information is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH, according to the Memphis Police Department. Prosecutors will decide on charges as investigators present their evidence.
