An 85-year-old woman was robbed in a New York City elevator after a man snatched her cane, dragged her on the ground and stole her purse Sunday evening, authorities said.
The robbery happened Sunday afternoon when the perpetrator walked into the elevator with the elderly woman in the Bronx. After briefly leaving the elevator, the unidentified suspect reentered and pulled the woman out by her cane, ABC7 reported.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: NYPD patrols traffic in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn on December 06, 2020 in New York City. The Dyker Heights Christmas-decorated residences are an annual attraction but have been scaled back this year due to Covid-19. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Surveillance footage from inside the elevator showed the man pulling the woman and tries to grab her purse but was dragged to the floor after attempting to hold onto her belongings. Law enforcement said the woman was treated for injuries at Lincoln Hospital, including pain in her hip, according to ABC7. (RELATED: New York City To Prohibit Natural Gas For New Buildings)
The suspect appeared to be wearing a light blue coat as well as dark pants and sneakers.
Robberies in New York City have increased by nearly 25% in December compared to the previous month while burglaries decreased by more than 5% this month, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
New York City’s Mayor-elect Eric Adams, a retired New York Police Department (NYPD) captain and the Brooklyn Borough president, centered his campaign around a promise to improve public safety by tackling rampant crime in the city.
Across the country in Los Angeles, the California city has seen a 46.7% spike in homicides in 2021 compared to 2019. Shooting victims have also significantly increased, up more than 51% compared with 2019.