The Shocking Robbery of an 80-Year-Old Woman in Houston
Recently, Houston police have been on the lookout for two men involved in an aggravated robbery of an 80-year-old woman. The incident took place in a convenience store on Fannin Street near Gray Street, where $19,000 in cash was taken from the victim. What makes this case even more alarming is that the victim is now out $76,000 in total due to two separate crimes.
The victim, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed her distress, stating, “My nerves are just shot, I mean, it really upset me. Just about all of the money that I had was gone.” This heartbreaking situation is made even worse by the fact that the victim is the widow of an HPD officer who passed away last year.
The robbery was captured on surveillance video, showing the victim entering the store with an envelope containing $19,000 in cash. The victim had withdrawn the money at the instruction of a scammer who claimed her bank had been hacked and directed her to deposit it into a crypto account. As she was attempting to use the crypto kiosk, two suspects seized the envelope from her.
According to Jeff Brieden of HPD’s Robbery Division, this case is one of the most bizarre incidents he has encountered in his career. The suspects managed to convince the victim that the bank tellers were part of the scam, leading her to believe their lies.
The first suspect is described as a 30 to 40-year-old male wearing a dark T-shirt and red shorts, while the second suspect was seen in a white Nike T-shirt, gray Nike shorts, blue and white shoes, and a cap. Both suspects fled the scene in a black vehicle.
If you have any information about this case, please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston. Your tip could lead to a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Remember, you can remain anonymous by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submitting a tip online at www.crime-stoppers.org.
This shocking incident serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of falling victim to scams and the importance of staying vigilant in today’s digital age.