Police: Woman, 87, robbed at gunpoint outside South Philadelphia home

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An 87-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint inside her South Philadelphia home, police say.

It happened shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday on the 3100 block of South 20th Street.

Neighbors say the suspects were seen earlier pacing in the alleyway behind some homes before the pair knocked on the victim's back door, and forced their way in.

Police say one of the suspects was armed, and the elderly woman was thrown to the ground. Fortunately, she was not hurt.

The pair made off with the victim's jewelry before fleeing.

It's not clear if the woman was targeted.

"I saw them in the back of my driveway. They passed my house a bit, stopped and walked back."

Cheryl Christina didn't want to show her face, but tells Action News she didn't think anything when she saw the couple, described as wearing their Sunday best, moments before they committed a brazen home invasion.

"I actually thought they were Jehovah Witnesses. I was just really surprised they did that to her," Christina said.

One neighbor said, "I'm a little surprised. She is a very nice woman. It surprises me in broad daylight, 9 o'clock in the morning that someone would do a thing like that," Jim Romano said.

Frank Mcfadden, also a neighbor said, "It's unnerving to think that someone would come into your house and do such a horrible thing."

Police say there were no serious injuries, but neighbors say, the victim's daughters took her to an area hospital to get checked out.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives.

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