Family expresses outrage after 72-year-old mother was attacked, robbed in Bellevue
Image of an X-ray showing the spinal trauma a 72-year-old Bellevue woman sustained after she was thrown to the ground and then robbed of her purse, causing her to suffer a major back injury that will require months of rehabilitation.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — The family of a 72-year-old Bellevue woman is expressing outrage after she was thrown to the ground and then robbed of her purse, causing her to suffer a major back injury that will require months of rehabilitation.
Madden McGraw, 18, allegedly used force to rob that victim on January 10 outside Bellevue’s H-Mart store on the 100 block of 108th Avenue North.
“The mental trauma. She was just shocked out of her mind that this has happened to her” said Aaron Lee, the victim’s son-in-law.
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The woman, who is Korean and speaks limited English, told officers she had finished a shopping trip and was about to enter her car when a man grabbed and pulled at her purse. After a brief exchange police said McGraw was able to snatch the purse from her and push her to the ground before running away.
“There was a figure on her left side, and then she felt the tug like someone dragging her. That’s when she realized something was happening,” said Sophie Yi, the victim’s daughter.
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Three weeks after that incident, the victim’s family told KOMO News they are dismayed and deeply angered that a woman of her age would be targeted for robbery.
“Those people thinking they can do this, thinking they can get away with this I want them to know, ‘no, they’re not gonna get away with it.,'” said Yi.
Through the translation of her family members, the victim said she worried she was going to die as she was attacked.
“She was also thinking, “What if I’m paralyzed? I can’t move,” because she couldn’t move,'” said Lee. “Some of the thoughts going through her head were “Am I gonna die?”
According to the victim’s family, she suffered from spinal trauma, causing her to walk with a cane and requiring potentially months of intensive, painful physical therapy.
Image of an X-ray showing the spinal trauma a 72-year-old Bellevue woman sustained after she was thrown to the ground and then robbed of her purse, causing her to suffer a major back injury that will require months of rehabilitation.{ }
“It could’ve been your mom… it could’ve been anyone’s mom in broad daylight,” said Lee.
Two weeks after the attack, McGraw was arrested and charged with several crimes related to the victimization of elderly women in the Bellevue area.
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After the arrest, police searched the property and found evidence connecting McGraw to the January 10 robbery.
Officers discovered numerous stolen credit and debit cards, over 30 sets of stolen keys, five stolen guns, and law enforcement equipment at McGraw’s home. Police said many of the items belonged to multiple elderly female victims, suggesting McGraw worked with others to target vulnerable people, particularly elderly women.
“The detectives recovered all of this property, and we believe it’s connected to many other crimes that have been committed in Bellevue and within the region,” said Major Ellen Inman, Bellevue Police.
A teenager has been arrested in connection to the strong-armed robbery of a 72-year-old woman, and the Bellevue Police Department believes he systematically targeted elderly women in further robberies. (Bellevue Police Department)
The Bellevue Police Investigations Division also linked McGraw to an assault involving a gun on Jan. 10.
“The totality of this leads us to believe that is very apparent that the scope of the crime spree involving the suspect and other suspects was much bigger than we even originally believed,” said Inman.
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McGraw is currently held on $250,000 bail and faces multiple charges, including one count of first-degree robbery, one count of firearm theft, two counts of second-degree identity theft, five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and eight counts of possession of stolen property.
Edmonton mom says she was beaten, robbed in random attack outside LRT station
Another Edmontonian has come forward to express frustration and sadness about the lack of safety in and around the city’s transit centres. She’s also calling for more officers on the ground.
Last Thursday, Rob Nicholl went public about a beating he suffered at the Southgate LRT station. He said there was no security or police around to help him.
On Monday, Janelle Dyke opened up about an attack she suffered last Tuesday afternoon outside MacEwan Station in downtown Edmonton.
“Nothing’s broken, but obviously, it’s very bruised. They did a CAT scan when I went to the hospital and I have a mild concussion,” she said, showing a bruise down nearly half of her face.
Dyke was just getting off of work when she was approached by two women coming from the direction of the train station. She recalls being asked for money and offering some.
Then, she says, one of the women hit her twice in the head. The other woman doused her with either pepper or bear spray.
“It was like point blank with whatever spray it was, right in my eyeballs, which got all over my clothing too. So as I’m wiping my eyes throughout the course of this, it was just spreading and getting even worse,” Dyke said.
Her phone is missing, along with the cash she had.
And while Edmonton Police Service confirmed officers are investigating, Dyke wants the city to do more by assigning armed police to patrol in and around LRT stations.
“I want actual police, like honestly,” she said.
“There most definitely needs to be police force within there, and even going on the trains more.”
On Friday, the union representing transit operators also raised safety concerns and asked for more transit peace officers.
A spokesperson for Edmonton Police Service said the force “shares concerns about crime and disorder in the transit system” and that regular patrols are already being done.
“EPS is committed to using the resources available to address both proactive and emergent situations on transit and safety remains the EPS’ number one priority,” Carolin Maran wrote in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
A city branch manager called the incident “very troubling” and offered “thoughts” to Dyke and her family, but didn’t promise any changes to current staffing or policies.
“The City of Edmonton takes a multilayered approach to safety and security. One approach is having the Edmonton Police Service and Transit Peace Officers patrol transit throughout our hours of operation, including evening and late night hours, and respond to reported incidents,” Carrie Hotton-MacDonald of ETS wrote in a Tuesday statement.
In April, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced that 21 new transit peace officers would be hired and that the city is also adding more community outreach transit teams which specialize in mental health, addictions and housing.
In October, the province announced $187 million over two years to be spent on addiction services and housing supports.
