Long Island Grandmother, 79, Beaten And Robbed Of $13 While Heading To Church
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An elderly Long Island woman was viciously assaulted, shoved to the ground and pummeled Tuesday -- all for her purse with $13 inside. Now police are searching for the thugs responsible for her injuries.
Amy Dawson, 79, left her home in Elmont to go to evening services at her church -- Bethlehem Missionary. She was walking down her block to catch the bus when two robbers came up behind her, knocked her down and grabbed her pocket book.
The incident took place around 7 p.m. Tuesday on the corner of 238th Street and 116th Avenue in Elmont.
"They didn't say anything -- nothing. They just grabbed the bag...he came behind me and grabbed the bag off my shoulder," Dawson told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera.
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The grandmother and widow was banged up and bruised in the mugging, but feels lucky to be alive.
"Even when I fell and hit my head and my forehead, I could have died," Dawson said.
Dawson told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan that she had an x-ray and MRI done as she described where the pain was in her shoulder.
Police are now looking for two teenage suspects in the brazen mugging.
"All I know, I went down and there was an iron pole right there and it looked like I hit my head on the iron pole," Dawson said.
Neighbors in the area heard the commotion and rushed to help to victim. Those neighbors described seeing Dawson bleeding with cuts and bruises on her hand.
"When I come up, the two guys running that way in a gray t-shirt," one man said.
The cruel thieves fled with the stolen purse, which was filled with Dawson's keys and personal papers. She had only a tiny bit of cash.
"I'm just living off Social Security -- thirteen dollars!" Dawson exclaimed.
Dawson also had a message for her attackers, saying that she hopes they would just "seek the Lord."
Dawson also said she wanted the muggers to find the prayer readings inside her handbag and hopes they will take them to heart.
"I just thank God, it could have been worse, just thank God that I'm alive," she said.
In the meantime, police are seeking witnesses -- hoping to catch the thieves.
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