A 31-year-old Brooklyn Park woman who had just cashed a check at a store and was driving away was robbed of nearly $600 Friday afternoon by a man hiding in the back seat of her car, county police said.

Barbara Cheryl Keefer of Edgevale Road was driving away from Charlie Ward's in the 4600 block of Fourth St., Brooklyn Park, about 3:35 p.m. when the mugger "popped up in the rear of the seat and demanded her wallet," a police report said.

Ms. Keefer gave the man her cigarette case, which contained her money, police said.

The man then told her to drive to the rear of the Southview Shopping Center, where he jumped out of the vehicle and fled into nearby woods.