Woman Assaulted in Chili's Parking Lot, Police Say

A woman was repeatedly struck, knocked to the ground and then had her cell phone stolen by a man whom she at first thought was flirting with her in the Chili’s parking lot last Monday night, Lower Merion police said at a Tuesday briefing.

At 12:56 a.m. on Feb. 11, officers responded to the area of City Avenue and Belmont Avenue for an unrelated incident. When police arrived in that area, they were approached by the victim, who told police she had just been assaulted in the Chili’s parking lot, 175 E City Ave, Bala Cynwyd.

The woman told police she was in her vehicle in the Chili’s parking lot, and a man in a white sedan began making small talk with her. After about five minutes, the man exited his vehicle and began walking toward her car. The woman told police she thought the man was flirting with her, so she got out of her car to talk with him, police said.

The man immediately hit the woman in the face and knocked her to the ground, then continued hitting her, police said. The man eventually grabbed the woman’s jacket pocket and tore it off her coat.

A Philadelphia EMS worker who noticed the fight went over to assist, at which point the man entered his vehicle and fled, police said.

Stolen was $1.69 and a black and white phone valued at $125.

The victim suffered cuts on her fingers and lips and bruising on her forehead. She declined EMS assistance, according to the report.

The man is described as a black man with a medium or dark complexion, about 6’0, 200 pounds, with short black hair. He was wearing a plaid shirt and dark colored hooded sweatshirt over it at the time of the incident. The victim believes he fled in a white Chevrolet Impala, according to the report.