Day laborers reported being the target of multiple robberies in Washington DC so far this year. In fact, while Telemundo 44 was investigating this situation, an alleged robbery was reported in the parking lot of a shopping center in the northwest of the city.
Witnesses reported that two men arrived at the scene in a pickup truck, violently opened the rear door of another work vehicle and took a tool valued at $2,000 belonging to a Hispanic company. A Good Samaritan called the police and took these photos of the incident.
“Here a padlock was placed and what they did was cut the piece that holds the padlock. It is the third time as a company that they have robbed us in two months,” said Wilber Moreno.
“We always make the police report, but it’s a bit of a difficult situation because it doesn’t allow us to work in the Washington area. As a company, we’re practically deciding to get out of this area because it’s a bit dangerous,” he added.
The trend of these criminal acts adds stress to the lives of day laborers who risk their lives daily getting into strangers’ cars in the hope of working and earning some money to support their families.
“Well, they say that a cart with dark windows arrived and there were two people standing there looking for work and suddenly they opened the door and asked if they had money,” said a day laborer who preferred not to be identified.
On that occasion, the criminals allegedly took all their belongings from the two workers and fled, according to the man.
According to statistics from the Metropolitan Police, so far this year 1,991 robberies have been reported in the capital. This represents an increase of 63% compared to those registered last year.
For this reason, the authorities offered advice in case someone finds themselves in this type of situation.
“We ask people to continue to call the police if they see someone suspicious and please if someone is the victim of a crime, of a robbery… do not fight with the person because what you have you can get back. Life does not recover,” emphasized José González, spokesman for the Metropolitan Police.
To avoid being a victim of theft, the law enforcement agency asks that you:
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Avoid being alone and in dimly lit places
- Do not carry a lot of cash with you
- Call 911 if you see suspicious people
The police also emphasized that they will not ask you about your immigration status when reporting an irregular situation in your workplace or any other crime.
