Woman nearly abducted at grocery store

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some neighbors are on edge after two men tried to abduct a woman at gunpoint, in the middle of the afternoon from a grocery store in the River Oaks area.

The attempted abduction happened Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of the Rice Epicurean market on Westheimer near Willowick.

At the Rice Epicurean market, customers are shocked. Few can imagine a crime so dangerous happening right where they shop.

The incident happened Tuesday around 1pm. Authorities say a woman had just pulled into the parking lot and was getting out of her car when two men grabbed her. One of those men was holding a gun.

Authorities say the woman fell to the ground and began yelling. That's when witnesses came to her aid, scaring the suspects off.

Employee Margaret Ohmeyer, who was working inside, recalled, "I didn't see the car, but I heard the sound of the tires. They left pretty fast."

The suspects are described as two young men driving a black SUV. It's believed the men followed the woman to the store.

Ohmeyer says her manager was told by authorities that it wasn't the first incident that day.

She said, "Prior to this parking lot, they tried the same thing on somebody else in the Montrose area."

The store's surveillance cameras reportedly captured the attack. Houston police, however, could not confirm the video was in their possession.

In the meantime, customers are taking extra precautions, still leery over what happened.

Customer Phelps Hand said, "Crime does not have geographic boundaries. It's surprising."

Calls to the store's corporate office have not been returned.

Eyewitness News worked on this story through our partnership with Houston Community Newspapers. You can read more about it in the River Oaks Examiner.

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