61-year-old woman robbed at gunpoint in YMCA parking lot

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 61-year-old woman, who Channel 9 won't identify, was afraid for her life after she stared down the barrel of a gun as she prepared to work out at the McCrorey YMCA on Beatties Ford Road.

It happened around 7:30 p.m. Monday.  The woman said she parked her car and was preparing to get out when she noticed a man standing in the bushes, right in front of her.  She said he was carrying a red jacket.
 
"Over the red jacket he had a gun. He rushed towards me and then that's when he pointed the gun at me," said the woman.
 
She said the gunman never said a word, but she screamed and then dropped her iPhone.  She said the man picked up the phone and ran, and that's when she noticed two other men running with him into some nearby woods.

The woman ran inside the YMCA and called police.

CMPD said they have increased their presence along Beatties Ford Road following the robbery.

The YMCA released a statement that reads:

"The safety and security of our members is of upmost importance to us. We work closely with our partners at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department to ensure member safety in our branches and on our grounds. We use closed-circuit videotaped surveillance during all operational hours and employ on-site security guards and/or off duty CMPD officers to patrol the grounds during various hours at our branches."

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