This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) — A victim is speaking out only to FOX31 after she and her daughter say they were robbed at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge.

“You think you’d be safe here, this is the one place you think you’d be safe,” the victim who asked us to conceal her identity said.

This victim tells FOX31 she was at the cemetery with her daughter and grandchildren paying respects to their loved one as they do every Sunday afternoon.

“It happened so fast, I know they didn’t even close the side sliding door,” she said, adding, “A silver minivan just pulled up on the side of the car. That’s when I saw the daughter pull up and say, ‘What are you doing? Get out of the car.’”

This victim says the suspects took off with her and her daughter’s purses in a silver minivan with Minnesota license plates.

When her daughter went to follow the thieves to get a license plate number, the victim says they pulled a gun on her.

“She was hysterical crying they had shot at her,” she said. “You hear about it happening to other people, you never think it’s going to happen to you and when it does it’s heart breaking.”

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office officials tell the FOX31 Problem Solvers these victims are not alone. There have been 17 crimes reported at the cemetery in the past six months.

Problem Solvers alerted the Archdiocese of Denver about this latest crime and asked how the cemetery is going to keep people safe.

We received the following statement from the Archdiocese of Denver / Mt. Olivet Cemetery: 

“There have been a handful of thefts on our grounds over the last several months that are being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. 

It is appalling that people would target individuals while they are visiting a cemetery.

The sheriff’s department is increasing patrols in the area, and we are working with them to increase other security measures around the property as well to make the cemetery as safe as possible. 

This includes reduced entry points, increased video surveillance, and increased awareness among staff members and groundskeepers to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. 

Because the 400-acre property is generally open to the public, we are also reminding people to be mindful of locking their vehicles when they are parked.”