A 78-year-old woman in Brampton, Canada, was allegedly robbed of gold jewellery worth around $20,000 while taking her regular evening walk in the neighbourhood. Her son, Raghavendra Kumar, said the incident left his mother deeply shaken, with police now investigating the theft. The incident took place shortly before 6 p.m. on July 28 on a residential street near Chinguacousy Road and Bovaird Drive West. According to Kumar, his mother, who does not speak English well, initially mistook the woman who approached her for a neighbour. Surveillance footage reportedly shows an SUV stopping near the elderly woman before a woman gets out and approaches her. Kumar said the woman appeared to gain his mother’s trust by bending down to touch her feet and then hugging her. “For about 10 seconds, she was completely believing and trusting of that female,” Kumar told CTV News. He alleged that the woman then placed a fake piece of jewellery around his mother’s neck while removing her real gold necklace. Her gold bangles were also allegedly taken before the suspects fled in the SUV. Kumar estimated that around 110 grams of jewellery, worth approximately $20,000 in raw metal value, was stolen. However, he said the jewellery held much greater sentimental value for his mother as it had been gifted by her late husband when they married in 1971. “That jewelry is more emotional,” he said. “My father passed away around 2008… the jewelry was gifted by my father when they got married in 1971.” Kumar said his father was a goldsmith who had made the jewellery himself.
Police Identify SUV As Vehicle Of Interest
After collecting CCTV footage from nearby homes, Kumar shared it with Peel Regional Police. Police have confirmed that the woman seen in the footage is a person of interest and have identified a white Chevrolet Equinox as a vehicle of interest. Kumar said his mother was “shivering” after realizing what had happened and could not speak for around 30 minutes. “When she rang the bell, I was tensed… because she’s already a heart patient,” Kumar said. “I was more worried about her health. I was least worried about the jewelry at that moment.” Police are also aware of a separate Toronto jewellery theft involving a similar-looking woman and vehicle, but said there is currently no evidence linking the two cases. The incident has also caused the elderly woman to stop taking her regular evening walks. “She looks forward to summers for evening walks,” Kumar said.
