Through prayer, milk and a banana, a 73-year-old Lafayette grandmother soothed a robber to sleep, according to Lafayette police.
The elderly woman did not recognize Juan Garcia Vasquez on the night he allegedly broke into her home intending to steal money or jewelry, although investigators later learned that he had done some landscaping once at her home and admitted to "returning to the house on a couple of other occasions,'' Lafayette Police Detective Paul Zill said today.
Vasquez first tried to enter the woman's home through a window around 1 a.m. Saturday but the glass broke, which woke up the woman, according to Zill.
"She then did something she probably shouldn't have, and that is when something bizarre is going on in the middle of the night, don't open the front door,'' Zill said.
As soon as she did, Vasquez grabbed her and put a cloth over her mouth to muffle her screams, according to authorities.
The two eventually calmed each other down and sat on the couch. But as soon as they did, Vasquez's stomach growled and as most grandmothers would, she promptly stood up, went to the kitchen and got her guest something to eat, Zill said.
She offered him eggs, but according to Zill, the burglar wanted a banana and a glass of milk instead.
"He didn't speak English that well and she didn't speak Spanish so they used the international language of pointing and nodding,'' Zill said.
The woman then pulled out some pictures of Saint Theresa and a church nametag and prayed next to him, hoping he was religious. She also showed him pictures of her grandchildren and shared stories about them, according to police.
Eventually, Vasquez needed to use the restroom. Demonstrating that manners must never be forgotten, even during a home invasion, when he returned from the facilities, Vasquez thoughtfully communicated to the woman that he had used the last of the toilet paper, Zill said.
He then sat back down, and promptly fell asleep. When she was sure her assailant was completely out, she fled to the bathroom and barricaded the door. She had a cordless phone with her that she had grabbed and hidden when her assailant was in the restroom, according to Zill.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/07/15/lafayette15.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/07/15/lafayette15.DTL
The elderly woman did not recognize Juan Garcia Vasquez on the night he allegedly broke into her home intending to steal money or jewelry, although investigators later learned that he had done some landscaping once at her home and admitted to "returning to the house on a couple of other occasions,'' Lafayette Police Detective Paul Zill said today.
Vasquez first tried to enter the woman's home through a window around 1 a.m. Saturday but the glass broke, which woke up the woman, according to Zill.
"She then did something she probably shouldn't have, and that is when something bizarre is going on in the middle of the night, don't open the front door,'' Zill said.
As soon as she did, Vasquez grabbed her and put a cloth over her mouth to muffle her screams, according to authorities.
The two eventually calmed each other down and sat on the couch. But as soon as they did, Vasquez's stomach growled and as most grandmothers would, she promptly stood up, went to the kitchen and got her guest something to eat, Zill said.
She offered him eggs, but according to Zill, the burglar wanted a banana and a glass of milk instead.
"He didn't speak English that well and she didn't speak Spanish so they used the international language of pointing and nodding,'' Zill said.
The woman then pulled out some pictures of Saint Theresa and a church nametag and prayed next to him, hoping he was religious. She also showed him pictures of her grandchildren and shared stories about them, according to police.
Eventually, Vasquez needed to use the restroom. Demonstrating that manners must never be forgotten, even during a home invasion, when he returned from the facilities, Vasquez thoughtfully communicated to the woman that he had used the last of the toilet paper, Zill said.
He then sat back down, and promptly fell asleep. When she was sure her assailant was completely out, she fled to the bathroom and barricaded the door. She had a cordless phone with her that she had grabbed and hidden when her assailant was in the restroom, according to Zill.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/07/15/lafayette15.DTLhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/07/15/lafayette15.DTL
Kidding this is cute.