Muggers target women at movies

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Police said a trip to the movies became a real-life drama for four moviegoers, all of them women, after they were mugged at gunpoint in two separate incidents in the past few weeks.

Albuquerque police detectives said both movie muggings happened in the parking lot of Century Rio 24 on Pan American Freeway off of Interstate 25. The first was reported August 12.

Police said two women leaving a midnight showing were walking to their car when a man in a blue mask walked up to them. The women told police the man pointed to an object in his hand as if it were a gun and then demanded their purses.

“Their items, their wallets, their money had been taken,” Officer Tasia Martinez said.

The women called 911. Detectives said 30 minutes after the armed robbery was reported a man tried to use one of the victim's debit card at an ATM on 98th Street. ATM surveillance caught snap shots of the man’s face.

Detectives said without the woman's PIN code the man left without any cash. However, that man and another possible suspect were spotted pulling up the gas pumps at Flying J on 98th. Detectives said the car they were in matched the description of the getaway car.

Police said the pair gassed up before the card was canceled. Then, the men tried a few more ATMs before giving up, at least that night.

“These individuals are very brazen, and detectives do believe they have that ...to commit over and over again,” Martinez said.

Police believe the same men may have struck again on Saturday. Detectives said two more women robbed of their purses after leaving the Century 24.

That time the robbery was more violent as one of the women was thrown to the ground.

Detectives worry the number of robberies will increase and the violence could. too.

“All it would take is a squeeze of that trigger and they could take the lives of a person who's just trying to walk from the movies to their car,” Martinez said.

Police said in both cases the robbers were in a maroon four-door sedan. Detectives ask anyone who might have information to call police immediately.