HOUSTON – Community activists and family members of an elderly woman held a press conference after they claim she was robbed and sexually assaulted in her Sunnyside home.
The New Black Panther Nation met Thursday at 4 p.m. with the community at the corner of Higgins and Jutland, where the alleged attack took place, in order to search for the person they said robbed and sexually assaulted Ophelia Outley, 95.
According to family members, the attack happened around 11 p.m. on Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18. Outley was walking out of her kitchen, when the attacker broke into the house by taking out an air condition window unit. The family members said that the attacker wanted her televison.
Nicole Sherman said there is no way she is ever letting her stay in the house alone again.
"You are a coward, because you came in when you knew she would be home by herself," Sherman said.
"We must be angry like this. We must be upset like this," community activist Quanell X said. He had a stern message for the attacker. "You like robbing old women? I'll tell you what. If we find you, we're going to give you your chance to prove how much you want to fight real men, because we're not playing today. This must stop."
The attacker allegedly removed the victim's underwear and asked her for money before leaving.
"There was no need to push her down and break her shoulder. There was no need in trying to cover her face, so she couldn't see the culprit, giving her a black eye and busting her lip. There was no need for any of this," Sherman said.
Relatives said she is a World War II veteran.
Sherman said her grandmother won’t rest easy until her attacker is brought to justice. Family members said police are working with the elderly woman on developing a composite sketch of the attacker.