A grieving Pennsylvania man was allegedly attacked by a suspect who attempted to steal his son-in-law’s truck. An hour before the incident, the man’s wife had died in hospice care.
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As reported by WPVI, the incident occurred at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, July 18. Haverton Township Police Chief John Viola detailed that the suspect allegedly attempted to steal a truck belonging to the man’s son-in-law outside his Kathmere Road home.
The 68-year-old man ran outside to confront the man. The suspect, however, managed to throw the elderly man to the ground and punched him. Furthermore, CBS News Philadelphia reported that the man suffered a cut and lacerations on his arm.
Reportedly, the whole incident was captured on video, showing the alleged attack and the suspect’s face.
The suspect then allegedly fled the scene and was later spotted along Brentwood Road and Erlington Road, later fleeing in a dark-colored sedan.
Meanwhile, the elderly man was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.
A Grieving Husband
It was revealed that the grieving man, who remains unnamed, suffered the tragic loss of his wife just an hour before the alleged attack. Reportedly, his wife had been in hospice care, and, to accompany him in his grief, his extended family had arrived at his home.
Chief Viola called the incident “very disturbing.”
“You’re going through an incredibly traumatic part of your life, your wife died, and you want to be with your family and grieve,” Viola added. “Then you have to put up with this on top of what you are already going through.”
Residents reacted in shock to the news, believing that their neighborhood was safe from incidents like this.
“We think of this as a safe community,” resident Craig Waxman said. “I don’t think anyone seems to worry about this stuff on a regular basis.”
Chief Viola commented on the surge of car thefts in the region. Specifically, he mentioned how people are leaving their key fobs in their unlocked cars throughout the night.
“When you look at the newer cars now, when you lock the car, the mirrors retract,” Viola added. “If they see the mirrors open, the first thing they do is try the car door and there’s the key fob, and they drive away.”
Police have asked for anyone who can identify the suspect to call Township Det. Mark Johnson at 610-853-1298, ext. 1234 or mjohnson@havpd.org