RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Richmond couple was in the process of moving out of their apartment over the winter when someone came in through the back door and stole thousands of dollars from them.
Anthony Dowd and his wife, Starlett Knight, told 8News they used to love living on Monument Avenue. As a well-known hotspot in Richmond, the couple lived in an apartment there for more than 12 years. Dowd also lived on Monument Avenue in the 1980’s.
“It was just great living on this street. I’ve loved it,” said Dowd.
The couple said they were renting the downstairs unit of a home and were preparing to move in January. According to Dowd, someone came through the fence at night, entered the back door and entered their bedroom while they were home.
“It is just amazing that we didn’t run into him because we were up and down that hall, going to the truck and taking things back and forth,” said Dowd. “It’s just an ultra creepy feeling because had I run into this person in that hallway, lord knows.”
He said they were on the other end of the apartment as the culprit got away with $5,000 in cash and jewelry.
Dowd told 8News he noticed something was wrong when the back door was left open.
“It’s the worst feeling ever. I have trouble recalling anything that felt that bad because that was almost all the money we had,” Dowd said. “Just this big empty hole in your gut that you have no idea how to fill.”
Dowd and Knight are both musicians. Dowd frequently plays gigs around town, and when he used to live on Monument Avenue he would just walk to them. Knight is a singer and the two would often play together. As venues closed their doors during the pandemic, the couple lost gigs.
The person responsible still hasn’t been caught.
Moving forward, Dowd said he is more aware of his surroundings and advises others to do the same. In this instance, he said he got careless.
A choir director at a church in Central Virginia was able to give them a place to stay.
If you have any information about the incident, contact Richmond Police.
