Robbery victim in Maryland receives letter from suspect

BROOKLYN PARK, Md. (WBAL) -The woman who bit her attacker in a Brooklyn Park robbery received a letter of apology from the suspect.

Jung Abuelhiga recalls how she warded off her attacker Sunday afternoon outside a Pizza Hut on Ritchie Highway by biting him on the hand. The attacker took off with her purse and used her credit cards.

The man was caught on surveillance camera when he tried to use the victim's bank card at an ATM in southwest Baltimore, police said.

Abuelhiga, 58, knows it could have been worse.

"It just was horrible, it was horrible," Abuelhiga said.

By Thursday, Eric Downey turned himself in to police. He told detectives that, during the struggle, he dropped a toy gun in the backseat of Abuelhiga's car.

"(It was in the) back of my seat, which I didn't even know. I've been driving for two more days," Abuelhiga said.

When the detective came to her house to get the toy gun, he dropped off a short, handwritten apology letter from Downey that reads, in part, "This is the guy that take (sic) your purse. I'm so sorry and if I can change time, I will, but God bless you and I will go get help for my drug problem. I'm so, so, so sorry ma'am."

The bad memories of Sunday are still too fresh and Abuelhiga doesn't have much sympathy.

"I don't know what kind of problem he had. He shouldn't have done (this) to the ladies. (He's) huge like this. (I'm a) little lady like this. Maybe they don't care, but I'm like maybe his mother's age, you know? I don't care what he got, that's his problem," Abuelhiga said.

Downey, 36, of Essex, has been charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft. Abuelhiga has no plans to write him back.

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