MCKINNEY, Texas — Mary Brown’s 93-year-old mother has proven herself time and time again to be resilient.
“She remembers being hungry as a young woman during World War Two,” Mary said. “She’s probably one of few women alive who lived through that time in history.”
Her resilience is now being tested, and it makes her daughter incredibly angry. “To me, it’s just evil - crimes against elderly people, crimes against children,” Mary said. “Surely God has a special place in hell for them.”
Mary doesn’t want her mother’s name or picture in the news but does want her story shared.
Around lunchtime on Monday, someone knocked on the back door of her mother’s ground floor apartment at Pioneer Ridge, a senior living facility in McKinney.
That person claimed to be a home health care professional and talked her way in the apartment. “She said the next thing she knew, the lady had stepped in, and then actually sat down on her sofa and made herself at home trying to talk to her,” Mary said.
The woman was asking questions about support hose and compression socks. She asked Mary’s mother to go to her bedroom and get her socks. As soon as Mary’s mother left the room, she went through her purse, taking credit cards and a debit card.
When the mother returned, the suspect said she wanted to see her other socks. She offered to go to the bedroom herself, where she stole jewelry that was probably worth thousands of dollars, but to Mary and her siblings – it was priceless.
“She had a unique French gold coin that was a pin that her grandmother used to wear on her scarf,” Mary said, “and her engagement ring from my father.”
“You know, she wants that back.”
McKinney Police confirm they are investigating but would not give us any details about the suspect.
Pioneer Ridge managers told their residents what happened and reminded them to never open a door for a stranger. They also invited police to a community safety meeting next week.
Mary wants pawn shops to be on the lookout for any of the antique pieces. She also wants other seniors to be on alert. “There’s someone out there that – if they see someone they think they can take advantage of, they’re out there doing it,” she warned. “I’m really disturbed.”