(dc -> LA n 172 p 4) crime week - guns and steal

colleen was robbed at gunpoint outside my door last night. she had just left the studio, where we were working on the ruhi book 2 project, when she rang the doorbell again urgently. i went to the window and she said, "let me in, quick!" i knew something was wrong, because colleen is usually super chill. i ran downstairs and she said, "i've just had my car stolen, and my purse and computer and phone...c'mon! let's call the police!" if only i'd been watching my window, i would have seen the whole thing. she had gotten in her car and sneezed. after the sneeze, she went to lock the door and, instead, it opened. she had a relaxed conversation with the tall, dark, 20-something black man who was pointing the gun at her. she said, "what are you doing?"
"what does it look like i'm doing? get out of the car!"
"i don't think i want to do that."
"what, does this look like a toy?"
"no, it looks pretty serious."
when she went to take her purse, he said "leave the purse....and the phone."
he made her get down on the ground facing away from him and then drove off with keli's car and all her stuff.

this comes less than a week after i got defrauded on ebay/paypal for $1500. i sold a camera and shipped it to the ukraine (i know, shut up) for a buyer who had paid me on paypal, only to find out after the camera left the country that the buyer had used a stolen credit card. justin said he'd write this story, so stay tuned.

sigh.

addendum 5:22pm

colleen talked the detective who showed up on the scene into taking the case ("noooo, i want YOU on the case! YOU'RE the ONLY one who can find my car!"). sometime between midnight and 6am, he found her car and caught the guy. they recovered all her stuff except her license, debit card, and $30 cash. lucky lucky.