Golden Valley Woman in Her 80s Fends Off Attempted Carjackers
An elderly woman in Golden Valley is recovering from a broken arm after fending off a group of teenaged carjackers at her home.
According to Golden Valley police, the incident occurred last Tuesday in the 6400 block of Westchester Circle.
A woman in her 80s was working on her lawn when a group of five teens in a vehicle stopped in front of her home. As the teens approached her, she ran and tried to close her garage door.
The teens demanded her car keys, and in the ensuing struggle, they pushed her. Police say she fell and broke her arm.
Police say the victim screamed and the teens fled from the scene without stealing her vehicle.
“It just goes to show you that we’ve got a group of teenagers in this area who really don’t respect anybody of any age, which is very concerning,” said Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green. “This is really uncommon in any neighborhood.”
Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green said a group of teens attempted to steal a car from a woman in her 80s. She broke her arm in the attempted carjacking.
Law enforcement discovered the vehicle the teens were driving had been reported stolen earlier in Minneapolis. Police later found the vehicle in St. Paul.
Attempted Carjacking a ‘Crime of Opportunity’
Green said he did not believe the attempted carjacking was premeditated.
“I think it was just a crime of opportunity,” Green said. “They were just driving in that neighborhood and saw somebody out. And [they] just stopped to say, ‘hey, she’s an older person, maybe she’s got a nicer car in her garage.’ And it was just that opportunity presented itself.”
Due to staffing issues, Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies are patrolling Golden Valley during the daytime hours. They are continuing to investigate the incident.
“If you’re out, have a cell phone with you or just try to alert somebody if something doesn’t look right,” Green said.
See also: Golden Valley Police Sergeant Remembered, ‘He Treated Everyone with Dignity and Respect’
