Legitimate Firearms Use Still Outpaces Firearms Crime, By Far

Elderly Man Beaten and Tied up 

With Wife by Robbers Manages to Free Himself

 and Shoot at Them 

An Oklahoma man in his 70s who was tied up during an attempted robbery last month was able to free himself and scare off the suspects with a gun, police say.

The incident occurred just before 11 p.m. on August 31 inside a couple's home in the 100 block of East Drive in Tuttle, investigators said. The two residents, both in their late 70s, were tied up by suspects during the late-night armed robbery attempt—which didn't go to plan.

According to police, the husband was assaulted before being tied up alongside his wife. But he was able to break through his restraints and reach a loaded gun. The man fired at the culprits, who fled with a third suspect in a vehicle that had been waiting outside the victims' home.

Yesterday, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) announced that it was seeking the public's assistance in identifying three suspects, and released multiple images on Facebook.

Two images showed the male suspect, the third image was of the female suspect's tattoo and the fourth picture, taken via home surveillance, showed the suspects' vehicle. The OSBI, an independent agency, said it became involved at the behest of Tuttle Police Department.

Investigators described one suspect as a female in her mid-20s to early 30s, approximately 5'4'' and 130 pounds. She appeared to have a tattoo on the back of her neck or upper back.

A white male was also described in the release. Investigators said he was the same age range, roughly 5'7'' and 140-145 pounds. He appeared to have tattoos on his right arm. The third suspect was observed sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle but never entered the home.

The OSBI did not reveal the identities of the elderly victims. It was not immediately clear if any of the suspects were hit by the homeowner's bullets as he fought back against the robbery. Officers can be reached at (800) 522-8017 or via the email-based hotline: tips@osbi.ok.gov.

Upon conviction in the state, a charge of first-degree robbery carries penalties of between 10 years and life in prison, according to the Oklahoma Legal Group law firm. Second-degree robbery can result in prison sentences of up to 10 years.

Oklahoma Legal Group explains online: "Robbery in the first degree consists of cases in which—while in the process of taking the property of another person by means of force or fear—the perpetrator either inflicts serious bodily injury, threatens a person with immediate serious bodily injury, intentionally puts someone in fear of immediate serious bodily injury, or commits or threatens to commit an additional felony upon the victim.

"Second degree occurs when none of the conditions necessary for first-degree robbery occur, yet there is still a taking of property from another person through the use of force or fear." 

Source: Newsweek