A 92-year-old man was beaten up and robbed on his property in downtown Chilliwack last Thursday, and his granddaughter wants to warn other seniors to stay safe.
The woman, who asked not to be named fearing for her family, said her grandpa was approached on his property with at first a request to use a phone, then an offer to buy moose meat.
What happened next shocked even those who are used to property theft and robbery.
“He snapped,” she said. “He hit [my grandpa] in the head a few times. I think he was out for blood.
“All the shady stuff that I’ve heard of, I’ve never heard of people attacking elderly.”
Chilliwack RCMP confirmed that they were called after 1:30 p.m. on April 25 to a home in the 46000-block of Yale Road. Paramedics were on the scene first as a neighbour had triggered some sort of medical alert device.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail said the elderly man told police an Indigenous male approached him while he was on his porch. The suspect asked to use a phone, then shifted gears and offered to sell him meat.
“When the phone doesn’t work, the meat gets offered and that’s when the male allegedly knocked him down and took his wallet,” Rail said.
The grand-daughter said the thief got “a good chunk of cash,” and that she wants to warn seniors to stay safe and make as much noise as possible if confronted in this way. She added that her grandfather is a “very sturdy” man so he was lucky he wasn’t as frail as many his age.
“I want to warn other people,” she said. “The fact that these guys are targeting vulnerable people, approaching people on their properties. It could be a single mother next time.”
Cpl. Rail said asking to use a phone is a common ploy by thieves. He said if someone comes to your door to ask to use the phone, to close the door and call police if you can.
Chilliwack RCMP are taking the matter seriously and investigating. The alleged suspect is described as a short, stocky First Nations male with short hair that is brown and greying. He was wearing a black T-shirt and had a goatee at the time.
The victim told her granddaughter that the man had “large hands.”
Anyone with information about the alleged suspect is asked to phone the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
• RELATED: Chilliwack RCMP trying to catch robbery suspect
• RELATED: Langley, Maple Ridge scissor robber faces at least four years in jail
@PeeJayAitchpaul.henderson@theprogress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
