Burglar targets 95-year-old man in his York home – as police reveal a spate of break-ins across the city

A 95-year-old man was targeted by a conwoman and thief on Monday – in one of a spate of burglaries that have hit York in recent days.

The woman entered his home on Acomb at around 3.30pm and asked £8 for her electric.

After the man said he couldn’t hear her, the suspect went to get some paper to write down her request.

She then rummaged through drawers, cabinets and cupboards in other rooms, although it does not appear that she took anything. She is also believed to have targeted another home on the same street.

The woman is described as

• white
• 5ft 6ins tall
• aged between 50 and 60 years old
• with mousey brown hair that she was wearing in a ponytail.

She was wearing a light-coloured coat with a purple top underneath. Crime reference number: 12210092167

Here are some of the other York burglaries reported to police in recent days.

31 March – Hull Road

At around 2.30pm on Wednesday 31 March the victim in this burglary was in her garden on Hull Road when an offender sneaked into her home and took her handbag and purse before trying to use the cards at a nearby store. Crime reference: 12210088904.

1 April – St Mary’s

Between 9pm on Thursday 1 April and 9am on Friday 2 April a ‘2 in 1’ burglary occurred on St Mary’s, Bootham when suspects entered a home and stole the car keys to an Audi A6 and Toyota Yaris before taking the two vehicles. Read more here. Crime reference: 12210090124

2 April – Westminster Road

At around 4.20pm on Friday 2 April, police received a report that a male was trying to pry open the back door of a home on Westminster Road with a shovel. After realising that he had been spotted he fled down the side of the address, and then cycled towards Water Lane with the shovel still in hand. He is described as white, about 18 years old, thin, with light brown tidy hair. He was wearing a face mask. Crime reference: 12210090404

3 April – Harcourt Street

In the early hours of Saturday 3 April, offenders entered a home on Harcourt Street in another ‘2 in 1’ burglary and removed a set of house keys, a silver iPhone 7, a PlayStation 4 and a brown leather wallet. They also took the keys to a red Honda CBF125 motorcycle before taking the vehicle. At around 1pm later that day the motorbike was located at Pottery Lane by the flats and garages. Crime reference: 12210090804

3 April – Orchard Gardens

Sometime between 6.17am and 7.42am on Saturday 3 April, offender(s) sneaked into a home on Orchard Gardens in another ‘2 in 1’ burglary and took the car keys to a VW Golf and a Jaguar parked outside before taking the Golf. Later that morning, the Golf was involved in a three-vehicle collision on Fossway but failed to stop and fled the scene. It was located at 10am abandoned on Somerset Road. Crime reference: 12210090702.

4 April – Garfield Terrace

At roughly 6.45am on Sunday 4 April, the victim was awoken to the sound of gravel being driven on outside her home on Garfield Terrace. Shortly after, she realised that her vehicle, a blue Vauxhall Mokka, was missing from the driveway. Further enquiries revealed that offender(s) had search through drawers in her living room and her black handbag, containing the Vauxhall’s car keys and a burgundy purse, had also been taken in the ‘2 in 1’ burglary. The car was located the next day abandoned on Byland Avenue, as was the handbag – but the purse and car keys are still missing. A 26 year-old man was arrested and has been released on bail. Crime reference: 12210091329.

6 April – Maythorn Road

Just after 4am on Tuesday 6 April a homeowner disturbed an intruder in their home on Maythorn Road. The suspect was challenged and made off – it is not believed anything was stolen. Read more here. Crime reference: 12210092421