A neighbor’s assistance might have helped a woman from becoming the victim of a would-be robber Tuesday afternoon.

A 58-year-old Valencia woman was walking on Bellis Drive, near Arroyo Park Drive, shortly before 4:30 p.m., when a man walked up to her and said, “Give me your money.”

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The woman replied, “I don’t have any money,” at which point the suspect opened his zip-up jacket and brandished what might have been a firearm. 

The woman told detectives she was unsure if the weapon the suspect brandished was a real handgun. It was described as a black pistol with a brown barrel.

The suspect then said, “Then give me your ring.”

The woman then told the suspect, whom she described as a 5’8, 160-pound light-skinned black male in his early 20s, “I’m not going to give you my ring,” and proceeded to walk to a nearby front door, knock on the door and ask the owner if she could call 911.

No money was taken, and the woman was not harmed.

At this point, the suspect walked over to a friend who watched the crime take place. The two left the area, and shortly thereafter, police began a search of the area, which included the use of a Sheriff’s Department helicopter.

“Obviously, crimes against persons are very serious to us and this incident is currently under investigation,” said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have any information about the suspect to call 661-255-1121.

While violent crime is down by nearly 50 percent over the same time last year, robberies stayed at about the same rate, according to preliminary year-to-date figures released by the Sheriff’s Department last week.

“We encourage people to stay connected with their community and their local Sheriff’s Station,” Dubin said. “And we ask that if they see any suspicious persons or vehicles in their neighborhood that they call us immediately.”

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