Philadelphia Police hope that surveillance video of a sedan speeding away from the scene after a robber shot a 75-year-old grandmother carrying her groceries home in the face on New Year's Eve will help them nab their suspect.
Police called the shooting "heinous," as they revealed details about the shooting Thursday.
"You take a lady who's 75 years old, she's fighting you for her pocketbook and you shoot her in the face -- I don't think there's anything more heinous than that," said Northeast Detectives' Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum.[[364517391, C]]
Police said the senior citizen was walking along the driveway between Erdrick and Montague streets near Wellington, in Mayfair, on her way home from the ShopRite on Frankford Avenue just before 10 a.m. on New Year's Eve when she was accosted by the gunman, who shot her once in the cheek and stole her purse full of cash and her cellphone before taking off in a silver or white, 2004 to 2008 Nissan Maxima with some front grill damage and sunroof.
The victim's daughter Edie Ritchie said her mother, who still works, had just cashed a paycheck before going out to grab groceries.
Before pulling the trigger, the man -- described as being in his 20s, wearing a red knit cap and sporting a trimmed beard -- told the woman "I'll shoot you," police said.[[364517391, C]]
"She struggled with him and he pulled her into the car, during that course of action she was shot in the face," said Rosenbaum. "Luckily it wasn't life-threatening, it was a through-and through shot."
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Police said the man dragged the victim for a few feet before speeding off.
Incredibly, after being shot, the victim managed to continue walking and make it back to her home about two and half blocks away, where she put away her groceries before calling for family for help, police said. The family then called 911.
"This is a very strong woman," said Rosenbaum.
Investigators followed a blood trail from the scene of the shooting to the woman's home then took her to Aria Health's Torresdale hospital in stable condition.
"She's doing well, considering... she's pretty feisty," said Ritchie.
The bullet went right through her cheek, Ritchie said possible because her mother was screaming when she was shot.
Police said she the victim was alert and talked with detectives at the hospital. [[363948211, C]]
Police released surveillance video Thursday -- put together from a series of business and household surveillance cameras -- that shows the suspect's sedan taking off down Princeton Avenue then turning north onto Torresdale Avenue.
Ritchie begged for anyone with info to come forward.
Anyone with information in the shooting should contact Northeast Detectives at 215-686-3153/54. If you spot the suspect you should consider him dangerous and should call 911, said police.
