Police: Man Shoves 88-Year-Old Woman To Ground, Steals Her Necklace
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An 88-year-old woman is recovering this morning after being violently robbed in Brooklyn.
The attack happened shortly before 1 p.m. Monday on East 21st Street near Avenue J in Midwood.
Police said the woman was walking on East 21st Street when a man approached her, shoved her to the ground and stole her necklace.
"You shouldn't prey on anybody, but on old sick people, that's like the lowest you can go," the victim's daughter told CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas. "Who would do something like that?"
The victim was with her wheelchair-bound husband at the time, her daughter said.
"Up until now, they've been independent, they've been managing," she said. "Now you're saying, what, they can't walk on their block? They have to be afraid to walk outside?"
Residents described the neighborhood as quiet, with homes nestled under a canopy of trees and well-manicured lawns.
"It's just really scary, and I live right here. I guess we have to find this guy," said Pessy Lefkowitz.
"I walk around during the day, and there are people. So somebody should see, is my feeling," Mordy Soloff said.
"I hope somebody finds this guy and just turns him in, because that's terrible," said Karen Shaw. "I mean, I really feel for this lady."
The suspect, captured by surveillance cameras wearing a burgundy hoodie and jeans, ran off in an unknown direction.
The victim was taken to the hospital with minor pain and bruising.
Her family said the thief stole more than a necklace - he took her independence and ability to care for her sick husband.
"Basically, she's incapacitated, she's on her back," he daughter said.
Anyone with any information about the robbery is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
