STOCKTON, Calif. — Janeen Martinez hasn't left her Stockton home in days, because each time she thinks about walking outside her front door, she remembers Monday evening.
"We had just returned from a camping trip. I thought to run down to the store. We needed to prepare for the rest of the week," said Martinez."We can literally see the store if you step outside of our house."
Just two doors down from her house, a masked man in all black struck, getting away with Martinez's wallet.
"I turned around and faced him and he sort of pushes forward and attacks me," said Martinez. "I'm very thankful I screamed."
The screams were heard by good Samaritans driving by who chased the suspect, ultimately getting Martinez her wallet back. The robber kept running.
"The comfortability of being able to walk in the neighborhood that I've grown up in, that has completely been robbed from me," said Martinez. "I feel he might do it again, unfortunately."
Martinez is not alone, data from the Stockton Police Department shows a nearly 21% increase in robberies over the past two weeks compared to the two weeks prior.
The cases include an elderly woman attacked and robbed at an ATM in broad daylight and two mail carriers threatened, punched, and robbed on the same day.
"In front of a grocery store, in front of your home, at a park, where can we be safe?" said Martinez.
The Stockton Police Department says its detectives are always looking for similarities or connections between cases. Martinez's case is being handled by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office which asks anyone with information to contact them.
Law enforcement says there are some things people can do to stay safe such as remaining alert and observant while out in public, having someone they know and trust accompany them, avoiding poorly lit areas, hiding valuables and avoiding carrying large amounts of cash and jewelry.
"I've gotten so used to carrying a diaper bag, so I innocently just grabbed my wallet. Big lesson learned on my end," said Martinez. "If I and anyone else can assist in preventing it from happening again, we should definitely do so and try to take care of one another."
Watch more from ABC10: Stockton woman was attacked and robbed in broad daylight while walking to an ATM
