Man allegedly beaten, robbed while Christmas shopping at Del Amo mall

TORRANCE, Calif. - Just days before Christmas, a man says he was attacked and robbed while shopping at the Del Amo mall in Torrance. 

Absalom Wilkins told FOX 11 that he was crossing the street when a black SUV ran through a stop sign and almost struck him. He walked towards the car, knocked on the window and told the driver how he almost hit him. Wilkins said the driver then cursed at him and became aggressive. Suddenly, a BMW with a man and woman inside pulled up next to him and they began yelling at Wilkins as well. He believes the three people were all friends. 

Then, out of nowhere, the men exited their vehicles and began punching him. 

"Punches me like I was a punching bag. Before you know it, I'm getting jumped by him and the guy in the SUV because they were together. All I could feel were kicks and punches," Wilkins told FOX 11. 

He said people nearby were yelling for them to stop. However, the suspects didn't stop and continued to beat him. 

"I finally got back up on my feet, I tried to defend myself and fight the Hispanic dude, but the African American guy came back around and knocked me out again."

Wilkins then said that through the corner of his eye, he saw the men point a gun at him and repeatedly say "I’m going to shoot you." 

He said the men took his bags, iPhone, and everything he had on him. 

"They took everything that I had, legitimately just went shopping for. They stole everything, just wiped me clean. My family gave me Christmas gifts and I had nothing to return because I was robbed."

Once they heard police arriving, the two men got into the SUV and fled. The woman then got into the BMW but as she tried to drive away, Wilkins jumped into the passenger seat.

"My blood was pumping, I had so much adrenaline. I wanted all my things back. I just spent over $1,000 on Christmas shopping for friends and family. So I hopped in her passenger seat, not really thinking, and was like 'give me my stuff back.' She's panicking, she's frantic, she doesn't know what to do because I'm in her car," Wilkins explained. 

As she attempted to flee, the woman crashed the car into the mall's parking structure. Wilkins sustained injuries to his face, back, and hand from both the crash and the attack. 

"It's really just scary to know that I'm trying to get up and defend myself and you know you have a gun pointed right at you. This is two days before Christmas."

Traumatized by the incident, Wilkins believes he may have been targeted based on what he was wearing and the bags he was carrying. He believes more security is needed at the mall, especially during the busy holiday season. 

It's unclear if the suspects were arrested. FOX 11 has reached out to the Torrance Police Department.

A GoFundMe has been created to help pay for medical expenses and stolen property.