A Nanaimo senior is recovering from a terrifying attack in her south Nanaimo home involving a masked intruder.The woman in her late 70s has lived in the home for around 50 years but on Monday night, for the second time in just two day, her feeling of security there was deeply shaken by a criminal’s actions. Skye Ryan reports.
Michael Cruikshank is furious and isn’t taking it sitting down. His next-door neighbour a 79-year-old woman who has lived in her home for over 50 years was attacked by a masked intruder Monday night and stood up to him before she had to run for her life.
“This happened around the dinner hour guys,” said Cruickshank.
“It happened around 8 o’clock. I just finished dinner, reading outside. All of a sudden there are lights coming down my driveway.
The senior, who is too shaken up to speak on camera, is worried he’ll come back. She says it was the second time in two days her home had been broken into. In the first incident, she found her jewellery box emptied. The suspect allegedly stole her wedding rings and debit card.
Then on Monday night, she stepped outside to shut her front gate and returned to a man waiting inside.
“And when she walked back into her house she was confronted by a guy wearing a balaclava,” said Const. Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP. “He violently pushed her on the bed and a struggle ensued. She pushed back and eventually found an opening and ran from the house barefoot where they called 911,” said O’Brien.
The intruder fled before police could respond, but the senior standing up for herself and fighting off the thief has left her community proud.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Cruickshank.
“I’m glad she did it because that person’s a coward.”
So now this community is working to keep their 79-year-old neighbour safe and help catch the suspect who’s described as a man 5’5″ tall with a slim build. He was last seen wearing dark clothing.
“I’m out patrolling with my dogs at night and I’m up at all hours,” said Cruickshank.
He’s also fixed the fence the alleged thief got through to reassure the senior she won’t have to stand up for herself alone any longer.
Skye Ryan
