Tumika Alston, the owner of a 24-hour convenience store in Northeast Washington, said she expected federal help after a late‑August mob ransacked her business but instead found herself the focus of a White House social media campaign.
Alston told the Washington Post that a group of teenagers broke down the door of Best Tobacco & Wireless, located inside Hechinger Mall, emptied shelves and stole thousands of dollars in merchandise. She said she spoke angrily about the incident to a local ABC affiliate, and within days received a call from someone claiming to be from the White House who said officials were concerned and wanted to learn more.
Alston said she allowed the White House team to visit in the hope of increased security or police presence. Instead, she said, they arrived with cameras and later shared video and an interview with her across social media platforms, reaching an estimated audience of nearly 13 million on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The posts were captioned, "Tumika's story is just one of many the Fake News isn't reporting," and were presented as part of President Trump's broader "crime emergency" in Washington, D.C., which has mobilized federal personnel to patrol city streets.
In the videos, Alston, 46, described fearing for her safety and said the thefts had affected the way she stocks essentials such as milk, eggs and baby formula. "Sometimes I'm afraid to walk out this door, go to my car," she says in the footage. She said she was distressed by the dramatic music and editing of the clips and felt the administration used her story to advance a narrative. "I feel like they've used me to put that story out there just for the narrative, to use it for an excuse, for more troops to be out there harassing people," she told the Post.
A White House statement accompanying the posts said, "Like many D.C. residents, Tumika has experienced firsthand what happens when criminals are allowed free rein of a city with no consequences," and praised the administration's crime crackdown for "significantly" driving down violent crime in the city and helping business owners like Alston.
Alston said her family had warned her to be cautious about publicity. She and her husband, Sajib Uddula, 37, opened the Hechinger Mall store earlier this year. Prior to the looting, Alston said she stocked fresh produce and other grocery staples with the intention of serving as a small neighborhood grocery. After the theft, she said she made changes to what is placed where in the store; although more teens returned for a second attempt, she said they did not execute another robbery.
D.C. police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing and that no arrests have been made. Citywide crime statistics show declines in some measures of crime this year, but neighborhood‑level problems such as gun violence and property crime persist in parts of the city, including the area around the Hechinger Mall.
Alston told the Post she initially hoped the White House outreach would translate into concrete protection. "He told me, 'Oh, don't worry about it. We got your back,' " she said of a White House representative. "This, that and the other, and y'all ain't got my back. I said, 'Y'all is trying to use me.'"
The episode highlights the intersection of individual crime victims' experiences and national political messaging as the White House pushes a law‑and‑order narrative in the capital. Officials framed the shared footage as documentation of the consequences of allowing criminal activity to proliferate and as evidence of the administration's crime‑fighting initiatives; Alston described feeling transformed from a victim into a political example.
Alston said she wants the video removed. The police investigation continues, and the store remains open with altered displays and heightened caution about accessible merchandise.