HOUSTON – A 14 year-old girl and her family are speaking out after she was robbed on her way home from school.
Rebecca Rodriguez and her family told Local 2 know it could have been worse.
"I'm really thankful that I wasn't hurt," said Rebecca.
The 9th grade student said she was walking home from school in west Houston Wednesday afternoon when a group of five young men drove up in a green SUV. The victim said one of the men jumped out, took her cell phone out of her hands and threw her to the ground before he jumped back and the driver took off.
"I was terrified because I thought they were like going to take me instead of my phone because they parked right next to me. But like, whenever they took my phone I just like, froze up again," said Rebecca.
She immediately ran to a friend's house and contacted her parents.
"Absolutely terrifying. I cried the whole way to pick her up," said Rebecca's mother, Casey Mosley.
Rebecca wasn't physically hurt and is processing the assault, but the incident has her parents worried.
"Come tomorrow, she's still gotta go to school and I'm still going to be as uncomfortable as I am right now. The feeling's not going to change, it's not going to go away," said Tony Rodriguez, Rebecca's father.
Houston police filed a report and officers are searching for suspects, but Rebecca isn't looking forward to her next walk from school.
"I would probably force some of my friends to come with me because I'd be terrified to go again and have that happen again," said Rebecca.