‘I bet he was shocked.’ 9-year-old girl fights a robber who attacked her mom in West Palm Beach
A 9-year-old girl is being called a hero by police for fighting off a robber who attacked her mother outside of a supermarket this month. West Palm Beach police officials honored Journee Nelson for her bravery. She received a medal, certificate and a Target gift card this week.
The attack happened outside of Sabor Tropical Supermarket, 5011 Broadway Ave., on Nov. 2.
Surveillance video shows Danielle Mobley and her daughter walk to their car in the parking lot. A man — whom police identified as 29-year-old Demetrius Jackson — stands nearby, next to propane tanks. He suddenly runs at Mobley, who is putting away her groceries and tackles her.
He messed with the wrong family.
There is a struggle for her purse and Journee runs around the car to help her mom, throwing punches at the suspect’s face.
The suspect then pushes her to the ground. That’s when Mobley said she let go of her purse and he ran away. Journee chased him.
“She actually jumped up and chased him four houses down the block with me chasing her, calling her back,” her mom said during a news conference.
Jackson got away with Mobley’s purse, which contained her Samsung cellphone, several bank cards, a Coach wallet, $40 cash and her concealedcarry permit, according to an arrest affidavit.
“I wouldn’t recommend
that you confront an individual like that but in the heat of the moment things happen,” said West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley, a former chief in Fort Lauderdale. “I bet he was shocked when she hit him right in his face, because you can definitely tell on the videotape that he was not expecting that and her actions were perfect timing in this particular situation and I think she hit him pretty hard.”
Journee’s heroic actions might be a sign of what her future career will be. She’s torn between being a police officer or a teacher, her mom told WPTV-Channel 5 in West Palm Beach.