Local

Disabled man robbed in dark Jacksonville tunnel

By Russell Colburn, Action News Jax and Action News Jax
By Russell Colburn, Action News Jax and Action News Jax
A local disabled man said someone robbed him in a dark Jacksonville tunnel while he grabbed lunch for his girlfriend Tuesday.

The victim said he wasn't seriously hurt, but that the attacker left scratches on his arm and a fear of venturing out again.

Gordon Strickland already felt vulnerable.

"As far as walking by myself, I cannot do that," Strickland said.

He gets around on a scooter after years of hard work and a fall from a roof.

His only income comes from Social Security Disability Insurance.

“That's the tunnel right here,” Strickland said of the tunnel near Lenox Avenue under I-10.
What Strickland said happened Tuesday didn't help that feeling of vulnerability.
“What's it like being back in this tunnel where this happened?” Action News Jax reporter Russell Colburn asked Strickland.
“Scary, scary,” he replied.

Strickland said he was on his way back from grabbing lunch at the Snak Shak for him and his girlfriend when someone attacked him.

“All the sudden, I get almost probably a block to the end.  He grabbed me and took everything I had,” Strickland said.
He said a credit card and hundreds of dollars were stolen.
Strickland said he reported it to police. 
He wasn't seriously hurt and didn't get a good look at who did it, but he said the attacker was unarmed.
“What really is so sad, you can't go down the road and mind your own business,” Strickland said.  “There's always this person right there, always just one person that's watching you.”

Cox Media Group

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