A Trenton, New Jersey woman is behind bars charged in connection to a brutal robbery that took place at Gabe’s in the Fairless Hills section of Bristol Township last April where two employees were sent to the hospital for serious injuries and remain under the supervision of medical professionals
Kaimira M. Higgenbotham, who just turned 33, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Kevin P. Wagner at 1 p.m. on six counts of felony robbery causing serious bodily harm, two counts aggravated assault, one count burglary, and 10 more related offenses last week. She was jailed with bail set at 10 percent of $100,000.00 by Wagner.
The what can only be described as a vicious attack played out just after 8 p.m. on April 21 at the discount retail outlet and was captured on video surveillance. Higgenbotham was observed placing store items in a laundry hamper. Higgenbotham was confronted by victim number 1 who is also a Gabe’s employee. She told police she noticed the suspect shortly after she entered the store because she appeared to be looking for a specific sized hamper. She said it’s an indicator of a would-be thief per her theft prevention training.
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She also explained, she employed specific loss prevention techniques to prevent the Trenton woman from leaving the store without paying, police wrote in court papers.
As the suspect headed towards the store exit, victim 1 placed her hand on the shopping cart grabbing the hamper allegedly filled with merchandise and said, here let me help you I’ll bring you up to the register to ring you out, the 71-year-old employee said. The victim grabbed the hamper momentarily, Higgenbotham then pulled the shopping cart back. In doing so, victim 1 fell to the ground knocking merchandise with her, while still holding onto the hamper. Meanwhile, a second store employee — victim number 2 — saw the struggle between the two and headed in the direction of now a full fledged brawl in motion with the suspect punching victim 1 in the head with her cell in hand, while victim number 2 is now also fully involved in the fight and knocked to the ground. Higgenbotham continued to struggle with victim 1 as is seen on video, dragging her across the floor, hitting her in the head and stomping on her chest several times, as she’s on the ground prone. Victim 2 was then struck in the head by the suspect with cell phone in hand about 10 times, falling back to the ground dazed from the attack and holding her head, court records show.
Higgenbotham was seen on security footage fleeing the shopping center parking lot, witnesses told police in a white Lexus, police said.
Victim one sustained “serious injuries” was transported to a local medical facility, admitted and received treatment for her injuries while also having bypass surgery performed on her due to the chest trauma suffered in the attack. She told police she is experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the criminal complaint says.
Victim two suffered a concussion. She told police she has a brain aneurysm with a stent inserted directly behind her left ear where she was struck by Higgenbotham numerous times. She is currently under the care of multiple doctors, police said.
Bristol Township authorities were able to view the white Lexus on video surveillance fleeing the area and the vehicle tags could be seen clearly. The Bucks County Radio Room contacted Trenton Police providing them with a full description of the vehicle, advising it was just part of a robbery, sharing the vehicles registration information, said police.
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Just before 10:30 the same night of the alleged robbery, Trenton Police officers observed the white Lexus parked in front of the registered owner’s home on Dunham Street. Officers activated their body cams when interviewing vehicle owner Jamella Francis who said she loaned her car to a good friend of hers, Ms Higgenbotham. She provided police with a “selfie” picture of the suspect she posted to a social media site and it was captured by the police body cams. Francis provided to police the suspect’s home address, the probable cause says,
A Bristol Twp detective reviewed video footage from businesses close to Gabe’s and observed a white Lexus entering the parking lot a shortly after 8 p.m. with a woman exiting the vehicle, fitting the suspect’s description, and entering Gabe’s. The Lexus is seen driving in the parking lot while Higgenbotham is in the store and she is seen entering the .vehicle’s passenger side after the alleged attack. Police also obtained New Jersey State driver license information, and several matching pictures of the suspect stemming from previous arrests, court records show.
Falls Twp. Police, prior the alleged Gabe’s robbery, filed a theft case against Higgenbotham in March, Currently, the case is marked “inactive”, according to online court records, for reasons unknown to Lower Bucks Source as of publication time.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 13. She has no attorney of record listed as of publication time.
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