Woman dragged along road by car after being robbed

Incident is latest in string of attacks in Oakland’s Chinatown

Police in California have launched an investigation after a woman was dragged along a road by a car driven by thieves who snatched the bag she was wearing across her body.

The robbery in, the East Lake neighbourhood of the city of Oakland, which was caught on CCTV, left the victim sore and bruised.

Eric Nghiem said his wife, Jenny, had her bag crossed around her neck and shoulder as she was walking to a supermarket when a thief grabbed it and jumped into the passenger side of a car shortly after noon on Wednesday.

Surveillance footage shows Ms Nghiem clinging to her bag as she gets dragged for a short distance before letting go.

Mr Nghiem said the psychological impact of the attack has proved far worse for his wife than any injury she sustained.

“But mentally, it’s worse. She’s scared more than anything else right now,” he said in a phone interview Friday.

The incident is the latest in a string of attacks and robberies in Oakland’s Chinatown near the beauty supplies store on International Boulevard that captured the footage of Ms Nghiem’s robbery.

Police have stepped up patrols and volunteers have increased their street presence after violence seen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic sparked outrage when some attacks were caught on video and spread widely online.

Oakland police said the robbery of Ms Nghiem was under investigation.

Additional reporting by Associated Press