The Fort Worth Police Department is investigating the abduction and robbery of two women near Trinity River on Sunday morning.
The two female victims, whose names have not been released, had met at the Trinity Trails mile marker by the river at around 5:30 a.m. to go for a run. They are sisters-in-law and both mothers. The weekly ritual usually gives them a break from their daily routine.
However, a harrowing encounter with three robbers poisoned their moment of respite.
“We try to have me time, girl time, and now, with that happening, we almost don’t even want to attempt anything,” one of the women told WFAA.
According to the victims, three Hispanic men, all masked and dressed in black, exited a white Cadillac that had pulled up while they were preparing for their run. Two of the suspects were allegedly armed and forced the women into the backseat of one of their own vehicles.
The victims said they were forced to hand over their cell phones and smartwatches, which the suspects destroyed and dumped.
“I was really, really scared. I really thought we were going to get raped or they were going to kill us because they wanted our devices gone. It only became more terrifying by the second,” one of the women told WFAA.
Hopping into the vehicle, the suspects then proceeded to drive while demanding various items, such as money, jewelry, and the title to the vehicle, from the victims.
“We told them to take whatever you want, just drop us off. We have kids at home,” one of the women told WFAA.
According to the witnesses, the suspects drove them roughly 7 miles to Echo Lake, where another man was waiting. The women were instructed to wait behind a shed. A few minutes later, they were handed the key to the vehicle and allowed to leave.
“I just feel confused as to why that even happened. If that was their motive to just rob us, they could’ve just done it there at the park. They didn’t have to kidnap us and take us to another location,” one of the victims said, per WFAA.
FWPD received word about the incident at approximately 6:40 a.m. and is still conducting its investigation. No suspects have been arrested yet.
“I just hope that they get caught,” one of the victims told WFAA. “I hope they don’t do this to someone else.”
Earlier this month, a young girl was kidnapped by two armed males robbing a home near Chisholm Trail Parkway and McPhearson Boulevard, as reported by The Dallas Express. FWPD ultimately tracked down the suspects’ vehicle and recovered the child unharmed after the pursuit ended in a crash. The suspects fled the scene on foot. Only one has been arrested so far.
According to FWPD’s first quarter report, 60 kidnappings occurred from January through March this year, with 68% characterized as domestic incidents. This represents a decrease of 7.7% in the number of abductions logged compared to the first quarter of 2023. There was also a year-over-year dip in robberies, with 156 incidents reported at the start of 2024 compared to 178 in 2023.
By comparison, over that same period this year, Dallas clocked 43 abductions — 30 of which were domestic incidents — and 540 robberies, according to data from the City’s crime analytics dashboard. As of July 18, kidnappings were up year over year by 12.2%, while robberies were down a marginal 4.2%.
Monthly Metroplex Civic & Business Association analyses comparing crime data from Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth’s city center show that the former persistently logs more crime than the latter.
While Fort Worth patrols its downtown area with a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards, the Dallas Police Department has struggled amid a serious staffing shortage. Only around 3,000 officers are fielded despite a City report calling for closer to 4,000 to adequately ensure public safety.
This shortfall will likely endure, with City leaders giving DPD a budget of just $654 million this fiscal year. This is far less taxpayer money than the spending on police in other high-crime cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.