A 96-year-old Tamworth man has woken to find an intruder in his bedroom and demanding cash on Saturday morning. It was the second brazen robbery of an elderly victim in just one week.
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Police from the Oxley Local Area Command were called to a unit on Gipps St, West Tamworth, at about 6am, after a man demanded cash and stole the elderly victim’s wallet and keys, before fleeing.
Specialist forensic officers spent the weekend examining the scene for clues and made a public appeal for information on Monday.
The West Tamworth break-in follows an appeal for information into another home invasion at Myndee Ave, in South Tamworth, on Sunday, March 12.
Police were called to the property at about 6pm, after a man entered the home and confronted a 76-year-old resident with a knife. The thief demanded money before running away. No one was injured during the incident.
Oxley detectives have released a description of a man who they believed could assist them with their inquiries.
The man is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, approximately 152cm tall, of medium build and with short black hair. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt, with dark-coloured shorts.
Tamworth acting crime manager Detective Sergeant Jason Darcy told The Leader inquiries into both incidents were continuing, and he believed the crimes were “opportunistic” and not targeted.
He said, at this stage of the investigation, police have not linked the two offences.
“We are urging people to be vigilant in their own security,” Detective Sergeant Darcy said. “People also need to be vigilant in ensuring their doors and windows are locked at night and their security lights are turned on.
Be security conscious and look out for your neighbours.
- Detective Sergeant Darcy
“Be security conscious and look out for your neighbours. If any people in the neighbourhood see anything unusual or persons acting suspiciously, they should report it to police. It might sound trivial, but it could be all the missing pieces to the puzzle.”
- Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000
- Police 02 6768 2999