Elderly woman assaulted in Northwest DC robbery: police

FIRST ON FOX - D.C. police are searching for a man suspected of brutally attacking an elderly woman in Northwest, D.C. The alleged attack has left the victim shaken and struggling to recover.

In an exclusive interview with FOX 5, the woman, identified only as Jane, recounted the terrifying experience. 

She and her husband, Tom, have been asking themselves since the attack, why would anyone attack an elderly woman while she was minding her own business?

The incident happened this past Tuesday around 9:30 p.m. in the 500 block of 13 Street Northwest. 

Police say Jane was waiting for her husband to retrieve their car after they had finished dinner when the suspect, dressed in black pants and an Adidas hooded sweatshirt, approached her.

Without warning, the man shoved Jane to the ground, causing her to hit her head on the concrete and suffer a cut on her arm. Her walker, which helps her get around, offered little protection during the assault. 

The suspect then grabbed her purse, which contained her cell phone, credit cards, cash, and a device that monitors her blood sugar for type 1 diabetes, before fleeing the scene.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect running away, and police have since released video footage in hopes that the public can help identify him.

Medics rushed Jane to a trauma center, where she received treatment for her injuries. She is now back home, but the psychological toll of the attack lingers. 

Police are urging anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to come forward.

Watch the surveillance footage below: