A seemingly routine trip to a nearby ATM turned into a robbery and an ordeal for a 72-year-old woman, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The woman, who was not identified, went Wednesday about noon from her Ansley Park home to a nearby Publix, but when she got home she was knocked to the ground and robbed, the station reported.

“The first thing I knew,” she said, “somebody just punched me from behind and flattened me.”

She said someone came up from behind, attacked her and took the money. “They wrenched my arm and grabbed the grocery sack that had my wallet in it.”

The punch knocked her to the ground, but she could not see her attacker, Channel 2 reported.

“By the time I got up and realized what happened,” she said, “I was screaming stop, stop, he was across the neighbor’s yard and headed up the side street.”

She called 911 and took some action of her own. She jumped in her car and drove up the street to try to find the attacker — but didn’t.

Atlanta police believe the person may have had someone waiting, and drove away.

The woman said the incident is enough to keep her away from public ATMs.

“They were just waiting,” she said, “for someone to go to the ATM, get in their car, and go home.”

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Channel 2's Carl Willis reports.

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