What Canchola did not know at the time was the elderly woman was working with another man to strong arm her out of her money.
"At first it appeared the two didn't know each other. And the lady asked the guy for help and he offered to help her. So then they left the store and got into my car," Canchola said.
Once inside the car, Canchola said the sweet elderly woman became a tough-talking granny while her male companion acted as the muscle.
She said the two forced her to drive to her bank and withdraw $500 from the ATM.
"I was forced to do it because the man never took his hand out of his jacket. So I didn't know if he had a gun or not," Canchola said.
According to Riverside police, the two are responsible for at least four thefts between January 28 and March 13, the day they robbed Canchola.
Investigators said the pair has also been operating a lottery scam. The suspects convince their victims they have won the lottery and promise to share the windfall if the victim can provide cash up front.
"They will have somebody call them and claim to have a lottery ticket that is worth $50,000 that they can't cash, and for $15,000 they can purchase this ticket," said Riverside Police department Detective Dave Smith.
Canchola had words of advice for fellow residents.
"Be careful with anyone who looks like they need help but in reality don't," she said.
Police said the suspects have been spotted driving a gray SUV, possibly a Toyota 4-Runner. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Riverside Police Department at (951) 353-7103.
