Several people in a South Dallas pizza restaurant were injured after a stolen car crashed into the business on September 12, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Owner of DJ Blackjack Pizza, Dorothy Jones, said it was her day off on Monday, and she was in the middle of her usual routine when she got the call that a car had crashed into her business.
When she arrived at her pizzeria, she was met with a damaged building covered in debris, as well as family members and customers who were worried about her and her business.
Jones was not the only one put in turmoil by that incident. The woman whose car was involved was allegedly also robbed of her means of transportation.
Taylor Hunter, a struggling mother of two, said she had finally found a home for her family and got a new car. She was set to start a job on Tuesday. Jones said that she had left her keys in the car and quickly ran into her apartment between errands when two young men sped off with her car.
They reportedly changed a spare tire and stopped at a store to get some drinks before crashing.
Hunter would only see her car again later on the Blackjack Pizza property, lodged in the front entrance and badly damaged.
The two suspects were arrested at the scene. Hunter, who witnessed the arrest, remembered seeing the two boys at her apartment complex.
In a mix of anger and despair, Hunter talked about how this incident affected her as she was “finally getting things together.”
“And then this happens,” she said. “I just can’t seem to get a break. Just when I thought everything was falling into place — I start a new job tomorrow, making a decent salary — now this.”
Hunter has more losses to deal with than her car, as she also said the duo threw her cell phone and purse out of the car after they stole it.
“I wish there was something that we could do,” Jones said regarding Hunter’s plight. The business owner said she was also concerned about the well-being of the people who got injured in the crash, her customers, and her employees. At least one person was taken to the hospital.
Customers and supporters have gathered in support of Jones and Blackjack Pizza, with talks of creating a GoFundMe account and organizing fundraisers.
Police did not name the thieves as they appeared to be minors. Hunter referred to them as “two young kids.”
Motor vehicle theft has increasingly plagued Dallas in recent years, something on which The Dallas Express has reported extensively.
It was a crime of opportunity, and she played right into their hands by leaving her keys in the ignition.