A woman pulled over near 28th Street and Bell Road to check her phone on Oct. 12 when a man approached with a gun, snatched the necklace off her neck and took her purse. The entire encounter was captured on a dashcam, though Detective Mike Fischer said investigators could not make out the suspect.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the suspect pointed the gun at the driver before grabbing her necklace while she handed over her purse. Detective Mike Fischer with the Phoenix Police Department said the man held the weapon in his left hand, leading investigators to believe he is left-handed. He was also described as wearing a large scarf at the time of the robbery.
Dashcam Footage Captures Robbery
The robbery was captured on car camera, showing the gunman targeting the driver in real time. The video was featured in a separate report titled Armed robbery suspect caught on dashcam targeting driver, underscoring how increasingly common dashcam and doorbell-style footage has become in helping police piece together fast-moving street crimes.
Authorities are seeking help identifying the suspect. Silent Witness is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with details about the suspect's identity is urged to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377).
How Phoenix Tracks Robbery Cases Going Forward
The case comes as Phoenix police have shifted how they classify and report crimes like this one. The department discontinued reporting to the UCR Summary Reporting System in January 2026, moving instead to the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, according to the City of Phoenix. Under the old system, robbery was grouped together with homicide, rape and aggravated assault under a single Violent Crime category; NIBRS instead sorts offenses into categories such as Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Property and Crimes Against Society.
Phoenix's own NIBRS crime-overview reports come with caveats about their reliability over time. The city's January 2026 agency crime overview notes it was valid only as of May 4, 2026, and subject to revision, while the department's April 2026 report cautions that arrest figures for a given period can change after the fact as cases develop. Phoenix's robbery rate and overall crime trends offer broader context for the case.
The Oct. 12 robbery near 28th Street and Bell Road was captured on dashcam, and the suspect was described as holding the weapon in his left hand and wearing a large scarf. Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the case is asked to come forward through Silent Witness.
