Woman assaulted during robbery at gas station: ‘I thank God I'm still here'

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A Dekalb County woman said she’s traumatized after someone cut her in the face during an attempted robbery.

"I get teary-eyed and I thank God I'm still here," Theresa Merchant told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes.

Merchant said she saw her life flash before her eyes and she just couldn’t believe anyone would do this to her.

It happened Thursday night at the Kroger gas station on Memorial Drive.

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“I didn’t know I was cut until the blood was gushing out of my face and I was screaming and hollering and I said, ‘Oh my God, he cut me. He cut me!’” Merchant said.

Two women who witnessed the stabbing ran over to Merchant and tried to comfort her while she waited for paramedics. They told her to calm down so that the bleeding would slow down.

“I said, ‘How can I calm down? He just cut me in my face,’” Merchant said.

Dekalb County police caught the suspect while he was trying to leave the scene. They arrested him and said he is being held without bond.

Merchant said she’s never out late at night, but this particular night she was out running errands so that she can keep her certification to be a foster mother.

She only stopped because she smelled burned oil coming from her engine and she didn’t want to break down on the side of the road.

She said she’ll never be out after dark again.

“I thank God that I’m still here and that God got a mission and purpose for my life. At the age of 65, my work was not done yet,” said Merchant.

Channel 2 Action News contacted Kroger and the company sent us a statement saying its No. 1 priority is the safety of its customers and it is fully cooperating with police.

Cox Media Group