Charges laid after 84-year-old man was befriended and attacked
Posted January 29, 2015 4:26 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s a story that hits at the heart of trust.
Charges have been laid after a disturbing attack on an elderly man in Vancouver. The victim was trying to be a Good Samaritan and had no idea he was being targeted at random.
It all started two weeks ago when a man knocked on the door of a home on the West Side. He claimed he was having car trouble and needed to borrow some money to catch the bus — the senior gave the man more than he needed.
The man came back the next day and did the same thing, this time asking for $40.
Vancouver Police Constable Brian Montague says the third time he returned — he attacked the senior.
“The homeowner realized that something wasn’t quite right. The man eventually followed the homeowner into the house where a struggle ensued and he actually stole this man’s wallet right out of his backpocket.”
The crook took off, but investigators were able to identify a person of interest and made an arrest shortly after.
“It was a perfect set of unfortunate circumstances that led to this robbery. This is a case of this individual just randomly knocking on doors and hoping to find a victim. We do see this occasionally in Vancouver. We’ve seen it in the past and I expect we’ll, unfortunately, see it in the future. This is sometimes typical, where we’ll see someone knock on the door and start to try and build a rapport or a bit of a relationship with someone who’s elderly.”
Fifty-four-year-old John Edward Barker has been charged with possession of stolen property.
“He does have a fairly extensive criminal history, it goes back to the 1970s. He’s someone who’s well known to us. The investigation is ongoing and we’re hoping additional evidence that we’ve seized and obtained will be able to give us the opportunity to recommend additional charges,” adds Montague.
He suggests getting a peep-hole and having a phone in your hand if you answer the door.
“Just remember to keep your doors locked and if there’s a knock at the door make sure you know who’s on the other side. Look through the peep-hole and if you don’t have a peep-hole then have one installed. They’re extremely easy to install and extremely inexpensive.”
