FAST FACTS:

• Three women stole a purse from a female victim and beat her up.
• The victim's boyfriend fired a shot at the robbers' car.
• One of the suspects ended up with a shot to the head.

(Cordova, TN 6/11/11) A woman was shot in the head after she and two other suspects stole a female victim's purse and beat her up.

It happened around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Trinity Lakes Apartments in Cordova.

Police said 25-year-old Maria Fugitt was followed home from work early Saturday morning. When she pulled up in her parking lot, the three women who were following her got out of their car with a gun and demanded money.

They allegedly took $240, Fugitt's purse and backpack.

But Fugitt didn't give up without a fight. She called for her boyfriend, who came outside. Police said that as the suspects drove off, one of them pointed a pistol out the window at both victims.

Police said the boyfriend, 34-year-old Michael Ray, then fired one shot at the robbers' car, shattering the rear window. The suspects sped off.

Later, one of the suspects, 20-year-old Amber Jackson, allegedly called police saying her friend was shot in the head.

Jackson said they were at Third and Mallory but refused to pull over.

Minutes later, police said Jackson called back saying she had run out of gas on I-240 near Lamar. She then requested help for her injured friend, 20-year-old Britney Harrison.

Harrison was treated at The MED, then released to be booked in jail.

Officers said they found the robbery victim's purse in their car.

Jackson and 21-year-old Tikita Bradford were charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. Harrison was charged with manufacturing or selling a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Residents at Trinity Lakes Apartments said this incident is one of several in recent years that chips away at their sense of safety.

One man moved to Cordova from Compton, Calif. He said at first the neighborhood was quite peaceful, but in the last three years, he's noticed an increase in crime.

"All of a sudden we start seeing notes on the door. There's been a robbery, if you see anything, let us know," he said.

He now expects a new notice on his door after Saturday's incident.

Neighbor Kimberly Johnson said she heard the commotion early Saturday morning.

Johnson said it sounded "maybe like a couple's spat. And then it got really intense and I heard a gunshot. And then it got really quiet."

Darell Chambers, who lives across from the victims, said "The police had everything blocked off. And I saw the crime scene van, so that's when I knew it was something serious."

Upon learning what happened to the suspects after they left, the residents were in disbelief.

Chambers said the man did the right thing by defending his girlfriend.

"At the end of the day, you live by the sword, you die by the sword. You know what I'm saying? Wrong follow you. You can't escape the law of God."