Nun beaten in carjacking outside Port Richmond grocery store

PORT RICHMOND (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say a nun was the victim of a violent carjacking outside a grocery store in the city's Port Richmond section.

Action News spoke with the 65-year-old victim, who is now recovering from numerous cuts to the face and a broken finger.

It happened at about 11:15 Sunday morning in the parking lot of the Shoprite store located at Castor and Aramingo avenues.

She says she was waiting for a friend in a parked car outside the store when she was attacked.

Out of nowhere, the suspect jumped in the driver's side of the car. The keys were in the ignition and he asked her where she wanted to go. The nun tried to grab the keys and the suspect grabbed her hand and broke her finger.

Lt. John Stanford with the Philadelphia Police says, "Began punching her repeatedly while stating that he was going to kill her. He beats her up and then finally pushes her out of the vehicle before taking off in her car."

The nun ran into the Shoprite to find her friend and called for help.

Police are still looking for the stolen car, a 2009 four-door silver Chevy Malibu. They are checking area surveillance cameras and also want to talk to anyone who may have seen anything out of the ordinary in the parking lot yesterday morning.

The victim was wearing her habit at the time of the attack - so the suspect should have known she is a nun. That's what makes the crime so appalling.

"Dedicated her life to that mission to be assaulted in such a way is just completely disgraceful. It really is," Lt. Stanford said.

The victim lives with her religious order in West Philadelphia. She is understandably traumatized by what happened. However, she believes her faith in God saved her life.