Tulsa Police Investigate Series Of Overnight Robberies

A Tulsa business owner is back at work after being robbed at gunpoint inside her store. She says the person who robbed her, made her lay face down in the same spot where her husband was murdered during a robbery 18 years ago. Patricia says she feels sorry for the teenager who robbed her- for choosing to throw his life away over a little bit of money.

Surveillance video from A-Mart in Tulsa shows owner Patricia Al-Sharif finishing up the last half hour of her Sunday night shift. In a matter of seconds, she is being held at gunpoint and the robber forces her onto the floor.

"I laid face down. You didn't have to tell me twice," said Patricia Al-Sharif.

As the robber cleaned out the cash register, safe and drawers of money Patricia says she was laying in the same spot where her husband took his last breath, during an armed robbery in 2001. She says the incident, and the loss of countless other family members makes her even more passionate about advocating against gun violence.

"It is only money. He is like 17. He just destroyed his life- for what he could carry in his hands," said Al-Sharif.

Officers say, two other people were robbed right after Patricia. One man was outside the Clearwater Carwash near 41st and Sheridan. He told police he was robbed at gunpoint by two masked men who stole his truck keys and cell phone. Then, two employees at Walgreens near 15th and Lewis told police two men with a silver handgun, also wearing masks, forced them to open the registers and bolted with the money. 

"There were silver handguns in two of them. There was one of them that had one male. The other two had two males so I mean, there is not a whole lot of similarities at this time," said Tulsa Police Detective Chad Moyer.

As for Patricia, she says she will continue talking to the kids who come into her store about the importance of making good choices.

"I try to give them a chance to be good. I'll let them owe me a dollar. I work with them, you know?” said Al-Sharif.