Victims of an attempted carjacking in Tulsa talk about their experience

An 83-year old Tulsa man is still hospitalized after he and his family were brutally beaten in an attempted carjacking. <br/><br/>The suspect attacked the family outside their home in broad daylight near

Monday, December 20th 2004, 9:37 am

By: News On 6

An 83-year old Tulsa man is still hospitalized after he and his family were brutally beaten in an attempted carjacking.

The suspect attacked the family outside their home in broad daylight near 11th and Sheridan.

News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin spoke with one of the victims about her terrifying ordeal.

â€œI've lived here since '49 and never anything like this, never, never, never." Because the man who attacked her family is still out there, she didn't want anyone to have a close look at her face.

The victim says the family was outside around 11 AM Sunday loading Christmas packages into the car for her daughters' trip home. That's when a man on a bicycle suddenly appeared behind her daughter. â€œHe said, I got a gun, I want your keys and your purse, bitch. And he hit her, in the head."

The man then struck her. Her husband tried in vain to protect his family, but at 83-years old, he was no match for the young gunman who threw him down and viciously beat him, tearing apart his pants to get at the elderly man's wallet. â€œDon't have any idea why anybody would want to do something like that to another, another person."

Seeing her daughter and husband beaten on the ground, she managed to get up and run for help. But at every door she knocked on, no one was home. So she ran back and saw her daughter trying to escape. "And she was kind of crawling and I went to her and said stay down, stay down, and he saw me.â€

She says the man hit her again, and then she heard sirens. Grateful to be alive, her biggest concern now is for her husband. â€œHe was trying to defend all of us." The elderly man is reportedly doing well, although his wife says he doesn't remember what happened.

The suspect never got the car, but took off with a wallet and purse. He's described as a black male in his early 20's, about 5' 8" and 140 pounds. He left a small purple bike behind that Tulsa Police say may be tied to other crimes.

Anyone with information that could help police can call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS.