OKC Woman Rescues Legally Blind Mother From Attempted Robbery

A daughter came to her legally blind mother's rescue on Thanksgiving Day. She said a man was attempting to steal her mother’s only line of communication.

“Pie and turkey were on the menu and that’s all I expected,” said Tana Wood, victim’s daughter. “I didn’t expect police and a robbery.”

For that reason, Wood rarely leaves her mother Tava Nation’s side. They were spending Thanksgiving with family at their southwest Oklahoma City apartment. They were standing near the doorway when 37-year-old Gerald Yeager snuck up on them.

“Mom said she was going to make one more phone call, attempt to call my little sister for Thanksgiving,” said Wood. “And the man just ran up behind her.”

Yeager allegedly told the women he had a knife and said to give him the phone. Nation is legally blind and could not see who she was fighting with over her phone.

“I wasn’t going to give up my phone to that guy,” said Nation.

Her daughter also was not going to let Yeager win the struggle.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” said Wood. “I ran out and pushed him and he hit the door frame and managed to drop the phone and he took off.”

The ladies went into the apartment, locked the door and called 911.

Caller:

“We were coming in the door of the apartment and he bum rushed us in the house and he said give me everything, and I’m like oh my God.”

They told police Yeager came back to the apartment and hit the door.

Officers found the suspect only blocks from the apartments. The women identified him as the man who tried to rob them. Police arrested Yeager and booked him into the Oklahoma County Jail.

Now, the mother-daughter duo has a safety reminder for everyone.

“Always go in numbers,” said Wood. “Because if it wouldn’t have been for the two of us we might not have survived that.”   

Wood said she saw the suspect days before the attack around the apartments asking for money. She said she helped him out by giving him $1.