Barbara Boxer, a former California senator, is a victim of assault and theft.
Former California Senator Barbara Boxer was assaulted and robbed Monday in Oakland’s Jack London Square neighborhood, her office said.
“The assailant pushed her in the back, stole her phone, and jumped into a waiting car,” Boxer’s office said in a statement. “She expresses gratitude for escaping serious injury.”
According to the Oakland Police Department, the assault and robbery occurred Monday at 1:15 p.m. local time in the 300 block of 3rd Street.
According to police, the suspect “forcefully took” Boxer’s cellphone and fled the area in a nearby waiting vehicle.
Boxer, 80, described herself as “shook up” in the aftermath of the assault.
“He pushed me very hard… and he grabbed my phone before I could follow,” Boxer told CNN affiliate KPIX. “I’m not physically hurt at all; I’m just a little disoriented.”
According to KPIX, Boxer believes the suspect was unaware of her identity and described him as a person under the age of 18 who fled the scene in a black sedan.
“I was screaming at the child, ‘Why would you do this to your grandmother?’ but he couldn’t care less,” Boxer explained in the interview.
The robbery section of the police department is currently investigating this incident, police said. The department is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest in connection with the case.
From 1993 to 2017, when she was succeeded by now-Vice President Kamala Harris, the former Democratic senator served.
