70-Y-O Tenn. Woman Has Bones Broken, Purse Stolen After Bible Study in Attack Captured on VIDEO
A 70-year-old woman from Nashville, Tennessee, was left with broken bones and face injuries after she was robbed of her purse by a man in a pickup truck right after she left Bible study.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department reported that the attack occurred last Tuesday and was captured by video cameras near the Lebanon Road Church of Christ in Lebanon Pike.
The footage, which was posted online, shows a silver Dodge 1500 pickup truck pulling up to the elderly woman, with the driver, identified as 48-year-old Gilbert D. Ostring Jr., beginning to talk to her about nearby shelters.
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Once the victim, who wasn't named, was close enough to the truck's window, the driver is seen grabbing the purse from her hands and speeding off, which knocks down the woman to the asphalt parking lot, breaking bones in her right hand.
"This is something that should never happen, much less to a female senior citizen leaving a church bible study," the police said.
Ostring has multiple prior convictions for offenses, including theft, forgery, identity theft, fraudulent use of credit cards, and reckless aggravated assault, having been released from state prison in June 2017.
"An arrest warrant charging Ostring, an ex-con, with robbery has been issued. Officers are now trying to locate him. Ostring is still believed to be driving the Dodge truck, which bears Tennessee license number 8K76T3," the Nashville Police said.
"Anyone seeing Ostring or knowing his whereabouts is urged to immediately contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward."
In a separate incident in December 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio, a 21-year-old Salvation Army worker was shot dead with his Bible in hand, preaching the Gospel. The Salvation Army reported that the victim, Jared Plesec, was wearing his full uniform with his Bible in hand, set to go off volunteering.
Witnesses said that Plesec was sharing the Bible with 27-year-old William Jones, who police later arrested in connection with the murder.
Major Daniel Alverio of the Salvation Army said in an interview that Plesec lived to "teach people who God was."
"I would talk to Jared often and he would say that he was not afraid. I would say 'Jared, be careful in the streets.' He said, 'I'm not afraid. I know where I'm going' and for him he would tell you to die is gain. Like he had no problem with the idea of being persecuted for the Gospel. He knew what he believed and he was assured that if anything ever happened to him he was going to be alright," Alverio shared.
Watch the video footage of the attack on the 70-year-old woman here: