Woman fakes seizure to thwart bizarre train robbery

SAN FRANCISCO -- BART police say the woman captured in train surveillance camera shots tried to rob a fellow rider by passing a note. Police released two photo of the suspected attempted robber, who is described as a white woman, with long strawberry blonde hair, possibly in her mid-30's and pulling a shopping cart.

RELATED: BART investigating after woman says someone tried to rob her with note

The threat on paper said in part, "There are two guns pointed at you now. If you want to live hand back your wallet and phone now."

Passenger Julie Dragland rode from Daly City to the East Bay when the rider behind her gave her the note.

ABC 7 News Reporter Elissa Harrington interviewed her Sunday. Dragland said the incident was, "probably the most scared I've ever been."

Dragland was scheduled to leave for an international flight the next day so she knew she couldn't lose her wallet. She feigned a seizure.

"So I started slumped over to the left and started like shaking and people started to notice and were like "are you OK, are you OK?'" said Dragland.

The scene Dragland caused around 4:30 p.m. Saturday near the Civic Center station scared the attempted robber. Police say she got off the train at Powell Street.

"I've been with BART police 19 years and I've never seen anything like this," said Deputy Chief Lance Haight, BART PD.

BART police say 20-30 people were on board the train at the time of the attempted robbery and they're asking those people to come forward and act as witnesses.

Riders tell ABC7 they'd like to see more officers on the trains.

"I've never seen a police officer on BART, never. And you commute every day? Every day for about three years," said Scott Bowers, BART rider.

"There's 46 stations, we don't have enough officers to be in every single station," said Dep. Chief Haight. But he does say BART is working to increase staffing. Statistically, he says, crime is low some 200,000 people ride BART on an average weekend day.

Detectives are now reviewing station surveillance footage for more evidence.