Elderly woman victim of robbery
By ALEXANDRA BISSONNETTE Special to the Daily Press
ASHLAND AVE A man who robbed an elderly woman in her home here may be the same home-invasion robber wanted in connection with a string of similar crimes on the Westside, police said Tuesday.
“We are looking at all angles,” said Sgt. Renaldi Thruston of the Santa Monica Police Department. “It’s a possibility [that the crimes are linked], but we haven’t confirmed that yet. But we confer with the LAPD because it is always possible.”
The suspect and the details of the recent crime are markedly similar to those of about 14 other Westside robberies that have occurred in the homes of elderly women since May of this year, one of which happened in Santa Monica last month.
The latest victim is a woman in her 70s who lives alone in the 1200 block of Ashland Avenue. The suspect entered her house at 2:45 a.m. Friday, rummaged through her things and stole several personal items including cash and jewelry, Thruston said.
According to a press release issued by the SMPD late Monday, the suspect is described as an African American male, wearing dark clothing with a dark mask covering his face.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made. Police are warning residents to take extra precautions to ensure their safety.
Thruston is encouraging people to secure doors and windows during the nighttime hours — even if at home — and whenever leaving home, day or night. He is also urging residents to immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to the police.
Neighbors of the latest victim said they are concerned for their safety.
“The fact that this could happen in a safe neighborhood makes me nervous,” said Suzanne Scott, who lives next door to the victim.
Another neighbor, Kelsey Liber, spoke with the victim on Friday morning just after the incident while the police were investigating the scene.
“She looked shaken up, but her daughters were with her,” she said.
The elderly woman told Liber that she woke up with the intruder kneeling on her back. He had no gun or other visible weapon, but he did strike her and grabbed her by the neck.
The intruder ordered the victim to sit in a chair while he ransacked her home, Liber said.
“She was actually very brave,” she said of her neighbor. The victim told Liber that the man used a screw driver to break in and then left it on the bed.
“She poked him in the belly with it,”Liber said.
He tied her hands and feet with an electrical cord and pulled all the phone cords out of the wall.
“He got some jewelry and some cash she had in the house,” Liber said. “He went through everything so meticulously that he found things she didn’t even know she had.”
The suspect left with two pillowcases full of jewelry and cash, Liber said.
SMPD’s Thruston could not comment on specifics of the incident because it is still under investigation.
While the police hunt for a suspect, the victim’s neighbors are left to wonder about who may have brought crime to their area.
“I noticed one man a few months ago,” Scott said, thinking of people who may have been watching her neighborhood. “He was on a bike, just looking at houses.”
Scott didn’t think much of the event at the time, but following the robbery, her husband suggested she tell the police.
“My initial reaction was just that it seemed kind of weird,” Scott said.
But now, she is very aware of who may be watching the streets and following her own routine, having heard that robbers pay attention to individuals who have daily patterns.
The victim’s other next door neighbor, Alex — who would not give his last name — has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years.
“I have a dog, and I also have lights and motion detectors as well,” he said. He was confident that he would not become a target.
As for the victim, neighbors say she will be staying with her daughters for the time being.
Scott just hopes that her neighborhood does not see more of these crimes.
“I hope it doesn’t become too much of an issue,” she said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 13, 2008. Read the original PDF.