BALTIMORE — There have been at least six businesses that were robbed in Baltimore's Highlandtown neighborhood in the past two weeks, according to Baltimore Police.
Rosalyn Vera’s business, which is located in the 3200 block of Eastern Avenue, was one of them.
She said she hasn’t felt unsafe in the city until now.
“All of this violence that’s going on. I’m mad. This could’ve been worse,” she said.
Vera said the robbery happened last week, on Tuesday, around 7:45 p.m.
She said her daughter and nephew were working at her store Hecho En Baltimore when a man came inside, held them gunpoint and demanded money.
Vera’s surveillance camera captured when the suspect first walked in.
“It’s really sad that we cant feel safe in our own place where we work,” Vera said.
Vera said she’s frustrated with the city and police, in which she feels could do more in making sure businesses and community members feel safe.
“It seems like we aren’t being protected,” she said. “I love the city and that’s why we have our businesses in the city , we want to invest in the city. But, If there’s no security that we have in place, I think that we would have to think twice in the investing in the city.”
She said she wants the city to put up more cameras and lights in the area to help prevent criminals from robbing her store and others in the neighborhood.
“If there was more lighting, they would think twice or cameras about committing these crimes,” she said.
In response to the robberies, a community walk will be held In the Highlandtown neighborhood on Tuesday.
Police said that beginning on April 14, businesses in the 3000 - 3200 blocks of Eastern Avenue and Lombard Street corridors were victims to armed robberies.
Detectives acquired surveillance photos of the suspects and are looking to identify each of them.
Anyone knowing the identities of any of these suspects is asked to call Citywide Robbery detectives at 41-366-6341 or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7lockup.
