Violent home invasion robbers target east Fort Worth elderly, police say

Police appealed for help Monday in identifying violent young robbers wanted in a series of home invasion robberies targeting the elderly in east Fort Worth.

An 83-year-old man was assaulted twice last month in separate break-ins at his home.

Detectives believe the same young robbers, armed with handguns, have hit four homes since July 20.

Investigators believe the robbers case the houses before they break in, and they may be driving a white Chevrolet Impala with large silver wheels.

On July 20, three robbers entered the back door of a house near Eastover Park in east Fort Worth about 11 p.m. The 83-year-old resident was assaulted by two of the robbers while a third stayed outside. Ten days later, three robbers hit the same house at 3 a.m., again entering through the back door. The resident tried to defend himself with a hatchet, but a robber overpowered and assaulted him, police said.

One of the robbers took the man’s wallet and ATM card, then demanded the PIN number, police said. When the man could not remember the number, one robber pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger several times, but the gun didn’t fire, police said.

On Aug. 4 at 3:45 a.m., robbers entered the front door of a home where an 83-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman live near Dunbar Sixth Grade School. One robber repeatedly punched the woman, hit her with a stick and pointed a gun at her, police said. The robbers also attacked the man, who got into a closet to hide.

Less than an hour later, at 4:30 a.m., three to four young robbers entered a house a few blocks from Oaklawn Elementary School through a back door. A 66-year-old woman sleeping on a couch was awakened by the robbers, who pointed a handgun at her and demanded money. The robbers took her purse but were unable to steal her television, police said.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Violent home invasion robbers target east Fort Worth elderly, police say."