Black Friday shopper in Folsom robbed at gunpoint by teens, police say

A woman was robbed at gunpoint while waiting for stores in a Folsom shopping center to open Friday morning, according to police.

The woman was standing between H&M and Victoria’s Secret in the Palladio at Broadstone shopping complex when she was approached by two men in their late teens about 5:35 a.m., said Sgt. Andrew Bates of the Folsom Police Department.

One of the teens pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the woman, Bates said, before he and the other stole personal items from her and fled.

Police are following up on leads as the investigation remains active, Bates said. No descriptions of the men have been released.

News of the robbery had not made its way around Palladio by 9 a.m., when 69-year-old Ellen Spangler was leaving with her niece Caitlyn Burke after about two hours of shopping. Spangler, who often takes her grandchildren to play in a fountain or eat frozen yogurt at the mall, said the incident was a reminder that violent crime can happen anywhere.

“I’m not really surprised when I hear things like that anymore,” Spangler said. “We just have to stay vigilant and aware of our surroundings at all times, especially as women.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2017 at 10:17 AM.