JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An assistant state attorney recently went from crime-fighter to crime victim when she was robbed at gunpoint.

"I didn't think anything until I saw the gun. As soon as I saw the gun, I knew exactly what was going on," said Assistant State Attorney Jessica Trudeau.

It happened on a Friday in the Riverside area after 9 p.m.

Trudeau said she was talking on the phone in a place she thought she was safe -- her front yard.

That's when a man walked up. Seconds later, she said there was a gun in her gut and a stranger demanding money.

"At that moment I'm thinking, 'I'm OK. I'm OK. I'm OK.' I kept saying that ... I'm sorry," Trudeau said through tears. "My husband's right inside and he doesn't know, but I'm thinking this gun is very real."

Although she's known as a tough local prosecutor who puts people behind bars, opening up about being the victim of something she said she never thought would happen to her was tough.

She and police said Friday's armed robbery was another reminder crime can happen to anyone at any time.

"It sounds cliché but the whole idea of it really can happen rings true for me now," Trudeau said.

The armed gunman got away with the assistant state attorney's purse and thankfully for Trudeau she got away with her life.

"So, I turned around and started screaming like I've never screamed before," Trudeau said.

"It doesn't matter where you are. It doesn’t matter who you are," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.

The sheriff's officer said everyone should always have their guard up because criminals are always looking for people who aren't paying attention.

"Somebody is watching you. Somebody is waiting to snatch something from you or put a gun to your head and take it from you," Jefferson said.

"I've learned from it. I'm dealing with it. I'm stronger for it, and I do believe I'm a better prosecutor because of it," Trudeau said.

The man who robbed Trudeau remains at large. Anyone with information about who committed that robbery is asked to call Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS.