A harrowing ordeal on the the highway prompts a theft victim to organize a personal safety session in Sacramento.

A harrowing ordeal on the the highway prompts a theft victim to organize a personal safety session in Sacramento.

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A harrowing ordeal on the the highway prompts a theft victim to organize a personal safety session in Sacramento.

Sacramento police are investigating recent fender bender robberies where thieves purposefully rear end victims with the intent to rob them.

A Rocklin woman, who was a victim of one of these crimes, is sharing her story in hopes it helps others avoid being a target of the thieves.

Rindy Merrifield was headed home on Business 80 on March 10 after running some errands in Sacramento when a driver bumped her car from behind.

She didn't think much of it – not worried the bump did any damage to her SUV.

The small car behind her then bumped her car again, but again, Merrifield wasn’t concerned and kept driving along the highway.

“He pulled beside me, told me to pull over,” Merrifield said. “So I thought, OK, maybe he did do some damage, and that's why he wants me to pull over.”

She found a place to stop off the exit near Cal Expo, and got out of her car to speak with the other driver.

“I just came around and I looked and I said, ‘...no damage. Just go on your way,’” said Merrifield. “That's when he said, ‘You know, I really think we should exchange insurances because that's the right thing to do.’”

Merrifield went to the passenger side door where she says the other driver pushed me away, grabbed her purse, and swatted away her arm – preventing her from retrieving her purse.

At that moment she described her fight-or-flight reaction to the situation.

“It was just, ‘How dare you… take my purse!’ and I was bound and determined to get it back or hurt him enough that I could get it,” Merrifield said.

She followed after the other driver – repeatedly slamming his own car door on his legs as he was getting away. Her efforts did not stop the thief who escaped with Merrifield’s purse and all its contents including credit cards, cash, car keys and her cell phone.

That was the last Merrifield saw of the suspect.

Sacramento police tell KCRA 3, a day later on March 11 a similar fender bender type robbery happened involving a different victim.

Later that same day, detectives arrested Hau Nguyen and Phung Nguyen and charged them for that crime.

On April 1, police received an arrest warrant for Phung Nguyen for charges related to the March 10 robbery – Merrifield’s case.

According to Sacramento police, Nguyen’s whereabouts are not known and he is considered wanted by law enforcement.

California law indicates drivers are required to stop and exchange information after a crash.

In a statement to KCRA 3, Sacramento Police Department said:

Meanwhile, Merrifield is determined to warn others using her own experience as an example.

“Knowing that I was so naïve and trustworthy and not watching my surroundings, I didn't want anyone else to go through that,” Merrifield said.

That’s why she organized a personal safety seminar scheduled to take place Saturday, April 2 at 10 a.m. at 8200 Sierra College Blvd., Ste B in Roseville.

She assembled law enforcement and safety experts to speak to a community group about how to handle situations just like the fender bender robbery she endured.

She also plans to organize other safety sessions in the near future.

“It may never happen again… but I'll be ready or I'll be ready to teach other people so it won't happen to them," she said.

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