Elderly Woman Outsmarts Robber
The elderly are constantly targeted for theft because they are seen as weak and unable to defend themselves. Whether the elderly are living in a nursing home, or are still living on their own, they can become the targets for predators who wish to make a quick buck. In Philadelphia, PA an elderly woman woke up with a stranger covering her mouth and a knife to her face. Instead of submitting to the man who had invaded her home, she outsmarted the thief.
The thief, 36, tied the 83-year-old woman with a cord from the venetian blinds and demanded that she drive him to the bank to use her ATM debit card. The elderly woman told the robber that she did not have a car, although it was hidden in the garage. And when he confronted her about the car keys in her room, she lied and told the robber it was to her son’s car that lived out of town. Then the woman pretended to have a heart attack, leaving the robber to go to the bank alone with her debit card and her PIN that she had given to him out of fear for her life. The police eventually captured the man, by seeing the video footage at the ATM and by a gas station camera where he also used the card. The man was charged with burglary and robbery that are both first-degree felonies that are punishable up to 20 years in prison.
It is inspiring that this woman was able to assess the situation and find the best way to protect herself even if she was physically unable to. It is important to talk to your loved ones about what to do in those scary situations. If your loved one was targeted at a nursing home or at a residence, contacting a professional can help in retrieving their losses and help to convict those responsible for the theft and emotional damage.
