Heartless thugs attack elderly woman inside church
Nebraska police seek suspects in violent robbery caught on camera
Police in Nebraska said on Wednesday that they had arrested a suspect after a 76-year-old woman was robbed and assaulted inside an Omaha church.
The Omaha Police Department said in a statement that 22-year-old Wayman Clark was arrested after a felony warrant for robbery was issued.
The department said investigators are working to identify the other male who is believed to have helped in the Sunday robbery that was caught on surveillance video at St. Cecilia Cathedral.
The video shows the woman reading a parish newsletter inside the church’s entrance when one suspect approaches her from behind and grabs her purse before sprinting out the door. The other male punches the woman in the head, knocking her down, before leaving.
The woman, who wasn’t identified, hit her head against the side of the table as she fell. She was helped by a parishioner before being taken to Creighton University Medical Center with a large bump and scrapes on her forehead. A hospital spokeswoman said she was treated in the emergency room and was released.
The Rev. James Netusil said he was in the sacristy preparing for morning Mass when the assault occurred. He said the woman was "pretty shaken up" and initially didn't want to be taken to the hospital.
"From the video, we know that she had just walked in two minutes before and suddenly, she's attacked," he said.
Netusil said security cameras have been installed throughout the church and on campus for at least 10 years and the "system is exceptionally thorough."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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