Dec. 7, 12:51 EDT
Jacquie De Almeida
The Hamilton Spectator
An 87-year-old woman is in hospital with head, back and hip injuries after surprising a burglar in her Beach Boulevard home early yesterday morning.
It's the second attack on a senior in less than a week.
Police responded to a 911 call around 8:30 a.m. after the victim's niece noticed her aunt's front door was open. She found the woman conscious but lying on a hallway floor.
Detective David Kerkhof said few details are available because of the victim's age and shaken state. However, it appears the woman may have stumbled across a male intruder after hearing a noise in the house. She is in stable condition under observation.
The victim's fragile state is making it difficult for detectives to piece things together. Police aren't sure how the man got into the house but it appears a door may have been unlocked.
"At this time, we don't have any sign of a theft or any other crime ... But because she's so elderly, it wouldn't take much for her to be injured," Kerkhof said.
Niece Susan Scobie said she feared something was amiss when her aunt didn't answer the phone early yesterday.
"I knew right then something was wrong," said the 60-year-old who lives next door.
Rushing over, Scobie discovered her aunt's front door wide open. She could see her lying on the floor inside, visibly hurt.
Scobie thought that her aunt, who had lived alone in the house for nearly 25 years, had fallen. But the woman quickly told her that someone had broken into the house. Bruises on her aunt's face and arms convinced Scobie to immediately call 911.
Scobie said her aunt told her she heard what sounded like explosions at the back of the house. She became scared when she saw the back door opening.
The victim said the man was quickly on top of her, with his foot on her head. "She said he was grinding her head into the floor," said Scobie, who checks in on the 87-year-old daily.
Her aunt is confused about what exactly happened, Scobie said, adding her aunt has two broken ribs and a broken collar bone, and her face and arms are covered in bruises. She is expected to be released from hospital today.
"Knowing her, she probably tried to fight him off of her. She's a feisty one. She's only 90 pounds soaking wet, but she'd still try."
This is the second crime against a senior in the span of five days. Thelma Clapham, 79, was found dead in her Rebecca Street apartment last Thursday. An autopsy showed she died of blunt force trauma.
Officers and members of victim services are expected to visit with tenants from Clapham's building today. A command van will be set up at the building to answer questions about safety.
Constable Mike Page says police are seeing more crimes against seniors -- mainly because they're too trusting.
"Seniors have a certain degree of trust. They've grown up in an age where they trusted what people told them. They're not expecting someone with bad intentions to come to their house."
The attack on Beach Boulevard stunned residents who awoke to find police cruisers parked in front of the victim's home and yellow tape strung up around the house. "We're quite concerned ... If it could happen to a friend, it could happen to my mother," said one resident who asked not to be identified.
"Why beat her?" asked another neighbour. "She's a defenceless lady. There's no sense in that."
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-546-2921 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
jdealmeida@thespec.com
905-526-3214
Jacquie De Almeida
The Hamilton Spectator
An 87-year-old woman is in hospital with head, back and hip injuries after surprising a burglar in her Beach Boulevard home early yesterday morning.
It's the second attack on a senior in less than a week.
Police responded to a 911 call around 8:30 a.m. after the victim's niece noticed her aunt's front door was open. She found the woman conscious but lying on a hallway floor.
Detective David Kerkhof said few details are available because of the victim's age and shaken state. However, it appears the woman may have stumbled across a male intruder after hearing a noise in the house. She is in stable condition under observation.
The victim's fragile state is making it difficult for detectives to piece things together. Police aren't sure how the man got into the house but it appears a door may have been unlocked.
"At this time, we don't have any sign of a theft or any other crime ... But because she's so elderly, it wouldn't take much for her to be injured," Kerkhof said.
Niece Susan Scobie said she feared something was amiss when her aunt didn't answer the phone early yesterday.
"I knew right then something was wrong," said the 60-year-old who lives next door.
Rushing over, Scobie discovered her aunt's front door wide open. She could see her lying on the floor inside, visibly hurt.
Scobie thought that her aunt, who had lived alone in the house for nearly 25 years, had fallen. But the woman quickly told her that someone had broken into the house. Bruises on her aunt's face and arms convinced Scobie to immediately call 911.
Scobie said her aunt told her she heard what sounded like explosions at the back of the house. She became scared when she saw the back door opening.
The victim said the man was quickly on top of her, with his foot on her head. "She said he was grinding her head into the floor," said Scobie, who checks in on the 87-year-old daily.
Her aunt is confused about what exactly happened, Scobie said, adding her aunt has two broken ribs and a broken collar bone, and her face and arms are covered in bruises. She is expected to be released from hospital today.
"Knowing her, she probably tried to fight him off of her. She's a feisty one. She's only 90 pounds soaking wet, but she'd still try."
This is the second crime against a senior in the span of five days. Thelma Clapham, 79, was found dead in her Rebecca Street apartment last Thursday. An autopsy showed she died of blunt force trauma.
Officers and members of victim services are expected to visit with tenants from Clapham's building today. A command van will be set up at the building to answer questions about safety.
Constable Mike Page says police are seeing more crimes against seniors -- mainly because they're too trusting.
"Seniors have a certain degree of trust. They've grown up in an age where they trusted what people told them. They're not expecting someone with bad intentions to come to their house."
The attack on Beach Boulevard stunned residents who awoke to find police cruisers parked in front of the victim's home and yellow tape strung up around the house. "We're quite concerned ... If it could happen to a friend, it could happen to my mother," said one resident who asked not to be identified.
"Why beat her?" asked another neighbour. "She's a defenceless lady. There's no sense in that."
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-546-2921 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
jdealmeida@thespec.com
905-526-3214