An elderly Akron woman told police a man who offered to shovel her driveway threatened to kill her if she didn't give him her prescription pain medication.
According to an Akron Police incident report, the suspect, who was only identified as Eric, knocked on the victim's door around noon on Thursday and asked to shovel her driveway. It happened in the 1000 block of Hardesty Boulevard.
The report said the victim paid the man $8 for the service and then he left. Four hours later, the woman said the man returned and asked to use her bathroom. Once inside the home, he demanded her pills and threatened to hurt or kill her until he found them.
The victim refused to hand them over. She claimed the suspect rifled through her belongings until he found them. The victim was unharmed.
Akron Police Lieutenant Rick Edwards told newsnet5.com the suspect stole 45 Percocet pain pills.
The victim's next door neighbor ran over to help.
“She called me yesterday after he left and she was pretty shaken up," neighbor Sandra Wyatt said.
It's a scam fueled by addiction: at 6, I'll tell you about an Akron man accused of threatening to kill an elderly, wheelchair-bound woman for Percocet.http://bit.ly/1Qcohte
Posted by Derick Waller on Friday, February 12, 2016
The victim believes the man may be a neighbor, but she did not know him personally.
Still, Lt. Edwards said this case is a cautionary tale for others.
“She kind of let her guard down by letting him in the house," Lt. Edwards said.
"She doesn’t really know who it is. We don’t encourage you to let anyone in, especially if they want to use the bathroom, they’re out of gas, they’re asking for money. Don’t let a stranger into your house.”
The crime is not believed to be gang-related.
If you have any information call Akron Police or the Summit County Crimestoppers at (330) 434-COPS.
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