TRUE Crime A ROBBERY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

Jim Gettman was walking his goldendoodle Betsy Ann just before 7 p.m. on a Friday in April when he noticed two guys walking behind him on Thomasson near Turner.

Betsy Ann started barking at them, but Gettman didn’t think much of it. He thought the guys were just out for a walk.

One guy came around and approached the dog, so Gettman leaned over to try and calm his pet.

In hindsight, he says, “I should’ve told him ‘she’ll bite your head off.’ ” But being a friendly guy, he instead said, “She probably won’t bite you.”

A second later, Gettman sensed the other guy behind him, and before he knew it,

214-824-0767 allstatehomecraft.com

BERT ROOFING INC.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years

• Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates www.bertroofing.com 214.321.9341 the robber had taken Gettman’s wallet out of his back pocket. So he wheeled around and tried to fight for his wallet, but the guys pushed him down. The robbers ran to where a white Ford Excursion was waiting for them on Turner.

Betsy Ann ran home.

Gettman hit his head on the curb and severely bruised his hip. The hip pain was bad enough that he went to the emergency room next day, but X-rays showed nothing was broken.

A neighbor called 911, and the Dallas Police Department sent two patrol cars, but they couldn’t find the robbers.

Neighbors on social media site Nextdoor reported seeing guys in a white Expedition

Glass •Acrylic Solatubes & Sun Tunnels

972-263-6033 www.skylightsolutions.com

Replacement, Repair & New Installation by Daylight Rangers

SHOWCASE YOUR SPACE

972-985-1700

2830 W 15th St. Plano, TX 75075 www.DaylightRangers.com on Rainbow the next day. Several people reported having seen the vehicle near the Bishop Arts District that evening.

Gettman has lived in Oak Cliff since 1969. A house he was renovating on Colorado was burglarized about five times while it was under construction. And once, when the Gettmans lived in Winnetka Heights, their house was robbed, and Gettman’s wife walked in on the robbery in progress. But he says, this is the most personally violating crime that’s happened to him.

“I just need to be more alert, like my wife says. Maybe you just have to be real careful when you’re talking to people that they’re not trying to be friendly for some other reason,” he says. —Rachel Stone