'Devastated' DC delivery driver works in fear, through tears after carjacker stole vehicle at gunpoint

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Mayor Bowser directly asked if people should feel safe living in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Mayor Bowser was asked on Monday if people should feel safe in Washington, D.C., as the mayor touted a decrease in crime in the city compared to this time last year.

A "devastated" Washington, D.C. woman is doing her job in fear after an armed carjacker stole her vehicle.

Willie Price was working an early morning paper route on May 8 when an armed masked man approached her in her car at 5:30 a.m. The thief made off with her vehicle, phone and wallet.

"I was totally surprised. I was totally caught off guard. And I’m totally devastated," Price told CQ Roll Call Tuesday.

Her phone was found near where the carjacking took place, but her wallet and car haven't been recovered.

Willie Price was forced out of her car at gunpoint while delivering newspapers earlier this month. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)

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In the meantime, Price has to rent a car for her deliveries, with insurance only covering it temporarily. She also only delivers paper after sunrise and brings her adult son as protection.

"People complain because I refuse to go out when it’s dark," Price said. "It ain’t happening. I’m sorry." 

Though she's terrified of returning to work, Price said she needed the extra income alongside her regular job as a cafeteria worker in the Library of Congress. To cope, she began seeing a therapist.

"I find myself in the [rental] car crying. I just can’t believe it. These kids are out of hand," Price said. "That was the first time I had a gun pointed at me. For something that I worked hard for. And it was taken from me."

Violent crimes overall increased by 39% in 2023, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. (Getty Images)

"It’s not safe to me right now. I have fear," she added.

Price has delivered newspapers in the neighborhood for about 30 years. She said she was already careful before the carjacking, but never faced problems like this.

"I’m always looking in front of me and in back of me," Price said. "We never saw him coming."

"I’ve been out there for years. Usually nobody bothers me," she added.

The nation's capital has faced a crime surge in recent years, with violent crime climbing in 2023 by 39% and homicides rising by 35%, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Robberies increased by 67%, while motor vehicle thefts rose by 82%.

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Rep. Byron Donalds', left, DC crime bill earned the support of several Democrats, including Rep. Jared Moskowitz, right. (Getty Images)

As a result, the House of Representatives passed a bill to lower the age definition for a youth offender from under 25 to under 18 on May 15. Every House Republican and 18 House Democrats voted in favor.

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Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.