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Police warn elderly women after six home invasions – Broadmeadow & Stockton
Thursday, 05 Nov 2009 05:43amNewcastle City Police are warning elderly members of the community to be aware of home invasions after six such incidents within their Command since last month.
The first three incidents involved the same victim.
In the first incident, about 8.30pm on Friday 16 October, a 90-year-old woman was woken by an offender kicking-in the back door of her home in Lambton Road, Broadmeadow.
The man stole a sum of cash from the victim and fled the scene on foot.
In the second incident, about 5.30pm on Wednesday 21 October, an unknown man confronted the woman after forcing entry through a rear door.
The offender ordered the woman to surrender her purse before pushing her into a bedroom and making further demands.
He pushed the woman over after she attempted to get out of the room.
The man fled the scene before the victim managed to escape and raise the alarm a short time later.
On the third occasion, about 9.30am on Wednesday 28 October, when the home was unoccupied, an offender entered and ransacked the home before fleeing empty-handed.
The man’s been described as being aged in his mid-40s, 165cm tall with a medium to solid build and clean shaven. During the incident on 21 October, he was wearing a light-coloured tracksuit.
In the fourth incident, shortly before midday on Monday (2 November), an 86-year-old woman heard a noise at the front door of her home in Fullerton Street, Stockton.
When she opened the door she saw a pile of leaves on the front verandah. As she swept them up, a man forced entry into the home and ripped the woman’s personal alarm off her when she tried to activate it.
The man searched her handbags and stole and amount of cash.
When the woman tried to leave through the back door to alert neighbours, the man allegedly grabbed her and ripped her shirt from her before fleeing the scene.
That man was described as white/European in appearance; 40 to 45 years of age, about 168cm tall, stocky build with short dark hair. He was wearing a blue and white shirt with wide horizontal stripes and dark shorts.
In the fifth incident, about 1.10pm on Tuesday (3 November), a man is believed to have used a front window to enter the home of another 90-year-old woman in Chatham Road, Broadmeadow.
The man stole an amount of cash before fleeing. The woman was unable to supply police with a description of the offender.
In the most recent incident, about 6pm on Tuesday (3 November), a man entered the home of a 75-year-old woman in Gosford Road, Broadmeadow, before stealing an amount of cash and fleeing the scene.
That man was only described as wearing a baseball cap.
Police are investigating the possibility that all six incidents are linked and are warning elderly people in the area to lock their doors and windows and to not open them for anyone they do not know.
Detectives are seeking public assistance as they continue their investigations.
Anyone with information that might assist police with their inquiries is urged to contact Newcastle City Detectives via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.