Elderly Queens Jewish Woman Mugged Near Her Forest Hills Home

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By Lilly Maier October 26, 2016

An 85-year old Jewish woman was mugged near her apartment in Forest Hills, Queens, Sunday night.

Barbara Kupferberg was attacked around 7 p.m. on her way back from the Forest Hills Jewish Center. She says a man approached her from behind, grabbed her bag and ran away.

The mugging was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Kupferberg has lived in the same Queens neighborhood for more than 60 years. “I walk the same route about five times a week,” she told DNAinfo.

While the senior usually tries to walk quickly through a dark street close to her apartment, she didn’t this time.

“I should have been more careful,” Kupferberg told the Daily News. “It was a beautiful night. I was sauntering along about a block away from my house.”

The man attacking her came from behind and grabbed her bag. “He said nothing. I didn’t get a good look at him,” the senior said.

Kupferberg lost her balance, but a nearby fence broke her fall. She said got several bruises and injured her left ankle.

The mugger got away with her cellphone and wallet with a credit card, library card and about $100 in cash, authorities told DNAinfo.

There was also lipstick and combs. “Everything a lady carries in her purse,” Kupferberg explained to the Daily News.

As of Tuesday, the police hasn’t made an arrest.

“I’m sorry he’s still out loose on the streets,” Kupferberg told the Daily News. “I’m scared. I hope they catch him.”

Lately, police has recorded a number of crimes against senior citizens. And compared to last year, there has been an overall rise in robberies and muggings in New York.

Lilly Maier is a news intern at the Forward. Reach her at maier@forward.com or on Twitter at @lillymmaier

Lilly Maier is a news intern at the Forward. She is a graduate journalism student at New York University, where she studies as a Fulbright scholar. She also holds a B.A. in Jewish history from the University of Munich. Contact Lilly at maier@forward.com, read her portfolio, or follow her on Twitter.

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