The 81-year-old woman who was robbed at an ATM in Aurora, Ont., earlier this week is speaking out after police announced a 35-year-old Sudbury man has been charged in connection with the incident.
York Regional Police said officers were called to a bank located in the area of Yonge and Wellington streets Monday evening.
Security video released by police on Wednesday shows an elderly woman withdrawing cash from an ATM when she’s approached by a man and attacked. The video appears to show the suspect grabbing cash from the 81-year-old’s hands and throwing her to the ground before fleeing the scene.
READ MORE: Video shows 81-year-old woman being robbed, falling to the ground at Aurora, Ont., bank
Global News spoke with the woman, who asked to be identified as Mary due to safety concerns, on Thursday. She said she’s still in pain after she had to be treated in hospital.
“I feel like a train ran over me,” Mary said, adding she has bruises all over her body.
She recalled what happened on Monday, and said she remembered the moments after the suspect entered the bank.
“I saw his foot come pointing my way. My reaction was, ‘He’s not turning around.’ I grabbed the money from the machine, which he was trying to get,” Mary said, adding she tried to hang on to the cash.
“He grabbed both my arms and was pulling me. He didn’t want to be seen.”
Mary said she tried to keep him in the view of the camera before trying to fight back.
“My mother came into my mind,” she said. “‘Take your knee and hit him in the one hundred.’”
The man pushed her to the ground before she could hit him.
WATCH: Police release video appearing to show man grabbing money from senior at Aurora bank
York Regional Police said Thursday, the man was arrested at the home of someone known to him on Wednesday.
Terrence Rocks has been charged with robbery. Police said he remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on Tuesday.
According to court documents obtained by Global News, Rocks has a criminal record of fraud, drugs and theft-related offences. After his most recent conviction in 2014, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail and a 10-year weapons prohibition.
Meanwhile, officers are asking anyone with information to call police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Mary, a mother of three and grandmother of four, said she doesn’t want to see anyone else experience what she went through. She shared a simple message.
“Get a job, no matter how much you make. It’s an honest job. It’s an honest dollar.”