'Why would you do this to a grandma?' What former California senator Barbara Boxer, 80, asked when she was attacked and robbed of her cellphone by a 'kid' in crime-ridden Oakland, California
Former US Senator Barbara Boxer was assaulted and robbed of her cellphone on Monday in Oakland, California.
The assailant, who fled the scene in a waiting vehicle, pushed 80-year-old Boxer in the back and stole her phone, her son, attorney Douglas Boxer, confirmed.
A tweet published on Boxer's verified account said 'she is thankful that she was not seriously injured'.
Oakland police said a robbery occurred around 1.15pm local time in the Jack London Square neighborhood near the 300 block of 3rd Street.
Former US Senator Barbara Boxer (pictured in 2018) was assaulted and robbed of her cell phone on Monday in Oakland, California
Police said the assault took place in Oakland's Jack London Square neighborhood near the 300 block of 3rd Street
Her son, Douglas Boxer, an attorney, confirmed the incident which was outlined on Barbara's Twitter account . She says the incident happened very quickly and she's still trying to make sense of what happened
Boxer, who spoke to KPIX, reportedly walked from the crime scene to a Verizon store two blocks away where she called police.
She said the incident happened very quickly and she's still trying to make sense of it.
'Well, he pushed me very hard,' Boxer told the TV station. 'It's hard for me to describe what happened because it was so fast, but, when I started to move away from him, he came behind me, pushed me hard, and then before I could fall it was like he grabbed my phone in front, so it's just hard to put all together.'
Boxer said both her attacker and the getaway driver as appeared to be under the age of 18. She notes that she even addressed the pair directly before they fled.
'I said: "Why would you do this to a grandma?" I was yelling at the kid as he was running with my phone,' she told KPIX. 'I said: "I want to call my grandkids, why are you doing this?" He could care less. He got in the car. But I hope he has some guilt.'
Boxer, who walked to a nearby Verizon store (pictured above) to report call authorities, said both her attacker and the getaway driver appeared to be under the age of 18
Officials are offering a reward of $2,000 for information leading to an arrest in Boxer's case
In a statement obtained by ABC 7, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the mayor was 'deeply troubled' to learn of Boxer's assault and robbery.
The statement reads in part: 'The Mayor was deeply troubled to learn of the assault and robbery of Sen. Boxer today. She spoke with the Senator's family to extend her well wishes for a speedy recovery and was relieved to learn she was not seriously injured...'
At this time, Oakland police are working to collect surveillance footage from the area. No arrests have been made and the robbery remains under investigation.
According to Fox News, the police department has announced a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The news of Boxer's attack comes as authorities across California have seen a 'troubling' increase in burglaries compared to last year.
According to data released earlier this month, auto thefts and aggravated assaults have seen small increases in the Oakland area. Officials say the only crimes that haven't risen thus far this year are rapes, larcenies and robberies.
On the contrary, robberies have skyrocketed in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Some experts attribute the increase to the passing of Proposition 47 in 2014, a ballot referendum known as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act that downgraded the theft of property less than $950 in value from a felony charge to a misdemeanor.
Boxer represented California in the US Senate from 1993 until 2017. The Democrat did not seek reelection in 2016 and was succeeded by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris.
Prior to serving in the Senate, Boxer served in the House of Representatives for a decade.