Meet the man who is helping elderly woman punched at H-E-B hear again

HOUSTON – Noises became faint for 88-year-old Mary Rutkowsky after she was punched in the face by a man while leaving an H-E-B store three months ago.

“As I fell I guess I kind of blacked out for a while,” Rutkowski said. 

Police said the man was seen on surveillance video lurking outside the Buffalo Speedway store on March 8 before he attacked Rutkowsky. When she came to, she noticed the changes in her hearing.

“He hit the hearing aid and he knocked it off,” Rutkowsky said.

So, for the past three months, she’s been relying on an old hearing aid, but it only works some of the time.

Chris Bisel, the owner of Bisel Hearing Aid Center, saw KPRC2’s story about the attack and wanted to help.

“I want to get you a set of hearing aids, which you will have one in each ear, which will really help you hear the best, at absolutely no cost to you,” Bisel told Rutkowsky when they met Friday.

A grateful Rutkowsky said Bisel’s generosity has helped her believe that good things can come from bad situations.

“I’m sure that I will hear a lot better,” Rutkowsky told Bisel. “I’m so thankful for people like you.”

“Well, we are happy to help,” Bisel replied.

Police are still looking for the man who attacked Rutkowsky. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Houston Police Department’s major assaults unit at 713-308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.