Authorities reached out to the public Wednesday for help in identifying two thieves who robbed a 19-year-old woman at Fashion Valley mall two weeks ago.
The pair, a man and woman who appeared to be in their 20s or early 30s, grabbed the victim from behind as she was walking through a parking structure at the Friars Road shopping center shortly before 2 p.m. Aug. 10, according to San Diego police.
As the man pressed a sharp object -- believed to have been a knife -- to the victim's back, his cohort demanded her cellphone and other property, then tried to pull a lanyard from around her neck.
The victim slapped the other woman's hand away, preventing her from stealing the strap, but the man was able to yank a pair of Apple AirPods from the victim's ears. The robbers then released the victim and walked off to the west.
The victim sustained minor puncture injuries and bruising to her neck
during the crime, police said.
Investigators have determined that the thieves had been aboard a trolley with the victim and followed her when she got off at Fashion Valley Transit Center.
Anyone who might be able to help detectives track down the perpetrators was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
