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Naomi Roberts, a 75-year-old grandmother, was left with a huge pulp of bloodied bruise on the right side of her face after she was supposedly mugged while she was walking around a city park at noon, SWNS.com reports.
Roberts was apparently shoved to the ground from behind by a thief and stole her handbag. Police already said that what happened to Roberts, who has five grandchildren, was a “despicable crime,” according to SWNS.
Joanna Roberts, Naomi’s daughter, described her mother as “independent and active” and believed that this terrifying incident would haunt her.
The daughter said, “We don't know exactly what happened. She has a vague memory of a passing cyclist going past her, and they have knocked her over and grabbed her bag or pushed her over.”
Joanna continued, “She has obviously landed on her face. She was in a lot of pain, but she is getting a bit better now. We don't know exactly what happened but it looks like she has been robbed. It was horrendous when I met her at the hospital.”
“I was waiting for her to arrive and I wasn't expecting that. She arrived looking absolutely horrendous. She had hurt herself really, really badly.”
Roberts has not fully recovered yet. She is currently nursing a fracture cheek bone and collar bone which resulted from colliding to the ground. The location of the attack was in Eastville Park, Bristol.
Roberts is a retired psychologist. She said that she was walking her dog named Poppy when, all of a sudden, a cyclist passed by and snatched her handbag.
Police Chief Aaron Ashford said, “This is a despicable crime carried out on an elderly woman in a public place. I am certain this incident will shock and enrage members of our community.”
Ashford continued, “We now need your help to trace the offender and bring them to justice. Were you in the Eastville Park area of Bristol on Monday lunchtime? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously or running or cycling away from the area?”
“Information, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, might prove crucial to us finding whoever is responsible.”
Joanna Roberts added, “She's a very resilient person. I feel so sorry for her. It takes quite a while to sink in just how bad it is. Obviously, our initial concern was how she was and was she going to be OK, not what caused it.”
She continued, “But increasingly to think that someone did this to her - I think about the long-term consequences of that to her confidence. She'll never go to that park again. She was just out walking her dog. It is one of her pleasures in life.”
“I think she'll be anxious about going out now, and when she is out she'll be anxious. It is the impact on other older people as well when they hear about it. But she isn't angry about it. She has been really touched by how nice people have been.”
'There were four women who helped her in the park, and she has been touched by how concerned people were, how good the hospital staff have been, and how nice the police were.”
Someone has created a JustGiving page to raise funds for Roberts. The initial goal was 200 UK pounds, but it has reached more than a 1,000.
What happened to Roberts is a truly terrible and inhumane incident. She agreed to have her photos released to not only catch the suspect, but also warn others about the possibility of danger in broad daylight.
Roberts, although grateful of the fundraising for her name, said that hopefully the money that would be collected would go to charity. She said, “I’m very grateful, but I don’t need the money.”
She added, “Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful, but I think it should go to an old people’s charity or victims of crime charity.”
Although this could be construed as Roberts’ way to not let this grave incident define her, her apparent kindness and compassion for others were witnessed and given credibility by her neighbors, friends, and family.
The money that would be collected will now go to Age UK Bristol and Victim Support, according to SWNS.
