An Indian woman in Canada says a theft during her daily walk left her shocked and afraid to go outside. Santosh Sharma says the incident happened last Friday morning on Côte-Vertu Boulevard in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough, where a stopped car and a sudden approach from behind turned a routine walk into a frightening ordeal. The theft left her without four gold bangles and with a sense of safety that has now been shaken.
What happened on Côte-Vertu Boulevard
Santosh Sharma says a car pulled up near her as she was walking in broad daylight. She says a white man and woman inside the vehicle waved her over and used phrases such as “mamma mia, ” which she did not understand, leaving her confused. Then, she says, a third person came up from behind and pushed her toward the car.
Her son, Vishnal Sharma, says the people involved were able to hold her because she is older and not physically strong. He says they removed four gold bangles from her wrists, placed fake jewelry in her pockets, and then drove away. Santosh Sharma says the incident happened so quickly that she did not get a good look at the people involved, and no one nearby appeared to notice what was happening.
This theft has drawn attention because Santosh Sharma says she believes it was designed to distract her before the jewelry was taken. The episode fits the pattern of a street-level theft that depends on confusion, surprise, and speed rather than force alone.
Family reaction after the theft
Vishnal Sharma says the family called 911 as soon as his mother returned home. He says Montreal police officers arrived quickly and were helpful, but told them the jewelry was unlikely to be recovered. He also says the bangles were a wedding-day gift to his mother and would cost about $15, 000 to replace now.
“For us it’s very tough to purchase something like that, so it’s not an easy thing, ” Vishnal Sharma said. Santosh Sharma, who moved to Canada from India three years ago, says she had never been the victim of a crime before and had seen Montreal as a safe and friendly city. Now, she says, she is too afraid to go outside.
That fear has become part of the aftermath of the theft. The family’s account shows how a brief encounter can leave behind not only financial loss, but also a lasting sense of vulnerability.
Why this theft stands out
The family says this was a daytime incident in a public area, which is part of why it has unsettled them so deeply. Santosh Sharma says she was out for one of her daily walks when the encounter unfolded, making the loss feel sudden and personal rather than distant or abstract.
Vishnal Sharma hopes her story will help others stay cautious. He urged people to be vigilant and avoid wearing jewelry on the road. The theft has become, for the family, both a painful loss and a warning to others who may assume a routine walk is harmless.
As they wait to see whether anything changes, the theft remains the central fact of the story: four gold bangles gone, a mother shaken, and a family trying to make sense of what happened on an ordinary morning in Montreal.
