Advertisement

Edmonton seniors attacked in string of home invasions

Click to play video: 'Edmonton seniors attacked in string of home invasions'
Edmonton seniors attacked in string of home invasions
A rash of home invasions at one central Edmonton apartment building has people who live there terrified. More than one elderly resident was robbed and beaten inside their home. Chris Chacon reports – Sep 5, 2021

Rousko Valtchev, 77, is recovering after he said he was violently attacked inside his apartment in the Central Village in Edmonton’s Queen Mary Park last week.

“[He] hit me here, hit me here, [he] took $300 and took my phone,” Valtchev said.

Valtchev said two men approached his ground-level apartment suite. One blocked his exterior door. The other came inside, robbed him and hit him repeatedly.

Story continues below advertisement

This break-in is not the only recent one at this residential building near 107 Avenue and 117 Street, which houses mostly seniors and people with disabilities.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Another man in his late 60s, who was too afraid to speak on camera, said he was also attacked.

“There were three home invasions, mine being the last one,” Central Village apartments tenant Eileen Radke said.

Radke also lives on the ground floor with her 79-year-old mother. She said last Monday, she came face-to-face with an intruder.

“I heard a noise, I came out, this man had sliced a hole in my screen and entered, and I walked into the room and saw him, and I didn’t know what to do other than scream,” Radke said.

Eventually, the man left and she called police. She put up a sign where the man entered that read: “You’re on camera,” and it scared the same man off when days later he returned, but didn’t enter.

“Having someone come into your home and stand there with a nefarious purpose is terrifying.

Story continues below advertisement

Radke said she has contacted the property management company several times about numerous safety measures she believes could have prevented these attacks but said nothing has been done.

Global News has also reached out to the company — Civida, formerly called Capital Region Housing — but did not receive a response.

“I just feel that it’s shameful that seniors in the prime of their life who have challenges with finances, housing and health have to go through being targeted by thieves because they think we are an easy target,” Radke said.

Edmonton police are investigating.

Sponsored content

AdChoices