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Police investigating back-to-back robberies at apartment complex

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Neighbors are on the lookout after a woman said a man wearing a black ski mask tried to rob her on the southeast side of Indianapolis.

“She said the guy came in behind her and tried to scare her. She thought it was somebody else just playing,” said Antonio Jennings, the victim’s neighbor. “He’s like, give me some money.”

Police are now investigating two cases that happened at an apartment complex on Southgreen Drive last week. The cases happened on the same night within the same hour.

You could hear kids playing and laughing at the complex Tuesday evening, but that wasn’t the case last week when neighbors heard a woman screaming for help.

“I try to stay out, look out my windows when I see my neighbors come in in case something happens,” said Jennings. “I just happened not to be home that day, I kinda wish I was.”

Jennings lives right next door to the victim. He said she’s now recovering with a bruise to her face.

“She’s just scared and startled right now. She don’t really want to come outside she’s a little nervous,” Jennings said. “But ask any women or men who get robbed if they feel the same way.”

The 39-year-old victim told police she had just walked into her building when a man wearing a black ski mask approached and grabbed her.

She fought back, but the suspect started punching and kicking her. She said he even pulled out a knife at one point.

According to a police report, the victim said the suspect started reaching for her pockets. She did not have any money in her pockets so the suspect got mad. She said he grabbed the keys that were around her neck, ripped them off, and threw them to the ground.

“She was yelling and banging on the door. Her husband came out and the guy run out the door and ran and they pretty much got away for right now,” Jennings said.

Not too long after that, another women from a different building was targeted.

“She was standing in the courtyard,” said neighbor Kay Palmer. “She was walking up with her child.”

Palmer made the 911 phone call. She said her neighbor described the suspect in her case as a man also wearing a black ski mask.

“She started screaming bloody murder, ‘help me help me he’s got my purse,’ and she was hysterical obviously,” Palmer said. “The man stole her purse and dropped his grocery bag in the courtyard and took off running with her purse.”

Palmer said her neighbor is traumatized by what happened.

“Since that happened her husband had told us her daughters cannot leave the porch so if our kids want to play they got to come over here and after a certain time like even remotely close to dark they’re going to shut their doors and close up,” Palmer said.

One of the victims described the suspect as a man believed to be 5’9 to 5’11 weighing between 160 to 180 pounds.

Management from that complex told 24-Hour News 8 they are putting up more lights later this week as a security precaution.