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Briefs

2 abduct woman, 80, force withdrawals

The women snatch the victim from a Publix parking lot and release her after the robbery.

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 11, 2006

TAMPA - An 80-year-old woman was loading her groceries in a Publix parking lot when she was attacked and kidnapped by two women who first stopped to ask her for directions, police said.

Tampa police described the abductors as two well-dressed black women. One is said to be about 50 years old, medium build with dark hair, approximately 5-foot to 5-foot-3. The other is in her 30s, about 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-10 and had her hair in a bun.

On Monday, Esther Rodeiro, 80, made a 12:15 p.m. run to the grocery store at 3615 W Gandy Blvd.

According to Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin, the events unfolded as follows:

As Rodeiro was preparing to leave the Publix, two women asked her for directions to the post office. Rodeiro began to direct them and one of the women grabbed her, punched her and shoved her into the front passenger seat of Rodeiro's Toyota RAV.

The second woman got in the back seat and pressed something against her back, telling her it was a gun and that she would shoot Rodeiro if she didn't comply. The other woman began to drive to an Armenia Avenue branch of Colonial Bank, where Rodeiro told them she banks.

The women ordered her to withdraw a large sum of money and to get a cashier's check for another large sum. They told her that if she didn't do it, they would kill her.

Rodeiro complied. Once forced back into the car, they took her to another bank, at 1701 Dale Mabry Highway. When the money was retrieved, the two women drove Rodeiro back to the Publix, and told her to keep her head down for five minutes. When she looked up, she said, they were gone.

Rodeiro drove away and told her daughter-in-law about the incident.

On Monday night, as she talked to officers about the incident, she sobbed and began feeling chest pains. Her condition was alarming enough that the officers called in paramedics.

"The victim is just terrified that these two are going to take her life," Durkin said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Tampa police at (813) 276-3567.

[Last modified January 11, 2006, 00:40:10]