A lack of adequate street lighting is being blamed for another robbery near the Cedar Springs strip.
Shane Cain said he and two female friends, all members of the LGBT community, were walking from their vehicle to their apartment complex in the 2900 block of Throckmorton Street at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were robbed at gunpoint by two suspects.
Cain, who lives in the Gardens Apartments at 2910 Thorckmorton, said the first suspect pressed a gun against his face while the second pointed one at his friends and demanded their purses. The suspects then fled on foot.
“We need to get more lighting on Dickason and Throckmorton. It’s just too dark,” Cain told Instant Tea today. “I’ve lived there for four years and nothing’s been done in four years. What does it take, one of us getting killed? If something is well lit, that can act as a deterrent for somebody.”
One of Cain’s friend, Skyy Boopsma, said the suspect “pulled out a gun and said ‘Give me your purse bitch’ and pulled it off my arm.”
According to a police report, the purse and its contents are valued at more than $3,000.
“Everything I own was in my purse,” said Boopsma, who also lives at the Gardens.
Cain said his other friend resisted and attempted to throw her purse over the fence of the apartment complex. The suspect pulled her to the ground and dragged her across the concrete but didn’t get the purse. Cain said the suspects, two black males wearing white T-shirts, took off running toward Dickason Avenue.
Boopsma said she doesn’t believe the incident was an anti-gay hate crime.
Cain said when police responded, they used GPS to track Boopsma’s stolen cell phone to a residence in the vicinity of Knight Street and Lemmon Avenue. He said he believed authorities were trying to obtain a search warrant for the residence.
Sr. Cpl. Sherri Jeffrey, a spokeswoman for DPD, said there had been no arrests as of this afternoon.
Dallas Stonewall Young Democrats has been working to improve street lighting in the Oak Lawn area through it’s Light Up Oak Lawn campaign.
Where is the Dallas Gay & Lesbian Alliance? This is a perfect fit for them and I never see them out in the streets advocating for the community anymore.
Im not sure what the gun laws are there,But Iam pretty sure That TEXAS is a go Get a gun State!!!! And if an incident like this Occurs again,SHOOT TO KILL “THE PEOPLE” have a right to Protect themselves and be Protected
This is, unfortunately, yet another example of why Dallas Stonewall Young Democrats has been pushing its “Light Up Oak Lawn” campaign to increase the amount of street lights in the neighborhood. We have done much work, but need the community to voice its support to the City. Contact your City councilmember and let them know you support more street lights and a safer community.
I live on the north side of the strip, and I’m fairly comfortable walking the 2 blocks to cedar springs – but it better lit than the south side – I will barely drive on more than a block south of the strip after dark, too many litlle dark corners and place for people to hide in waiting…not to mention its just a sketchy ass area.
The blame for another robbery lies on the robbers and not the public street light fixtures.
The person who is responsible for getting additional, public street light fixtures is the person who will benefit from them and not someone else. Getting free, additional public street light fixtures installed on a public street is one of the fastest and easiest crime watch prevention measures a person can accomplish. The process has been accomplished for many years by many residents throughout the city.