KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A violent assault and robbery along East Missouri Avenue on Thursday morning left a victim injured and now fearful to be outside.
The crime occurred around 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The victim asked 41 Action News not to reveal her name or face due to the fear she continues to feel over the incident.
“I’m traumatized. It was terrifying,” she said. “It’s one of the worst things to ever happen to me in my whole life.”
The victim said she was walking along the 1700 block of Missouri Avenue to get a morning coffee when an unknown man walked up to her suddenly.
In an instant, she said he grabbed her hood, hit her in the face with a gun multiple times, and threatened to shoot her.
“My life flashed before my eyes,” she said. “I was thinking I was going to die right there on the concrete.”
Before running away, the suspect stole $30 and a cell phone from the woman.
Since the crime on Thursday, the victim said she was afraid of walking around the neighborhood.
“Just for me to come outside my apartment, I’m skeptical of it,” she said. “He put the fear in me.”
The victim showed 41 Action News the fresh cuts still on her ear on Friday.
She also described how she lost several teeth after getting assaulted.
“I was just worried about making it home to my babies,” said the mother of two children. “I was hoping he wouldn’t kill me.”
The victim said she didn't recognize the suspect but described him as a black man wearing a green jacket and blue jeans.
Following the crime, 41 Action News spoke to nearby residents about what happened.
Despite the assault and robbery happening near the area home to several families, neighbors said it did not shock them.
“It’s not honestly surprising,” said Ren Beeks, who has lived near Missouri Avenue for the past year. “Even early in the morning, things go on.”
Beeks described the neighborhood as unsafe and in need of more cameras and security.
“I go to work. I come home. I check my mailbox and go home,” she said. “I don’t let my daughter play out here.”
At last check, police have not arrested a suspect in connection to the case.
Moving forward, the victim hoped others would hear her story and take caution in the neighborhood.
“I would hate for something like this to happen to the next female,” she said. “They need to catch him ASAP.”
