Sheriff: Elderly woman kidnapped and robbed of $10k in broad daylight
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Georgia (WGCL) — Two women are behind bars in connection to allegedly kidnapping and stealing thousands of dollars from an elderly woman. The reported incident happened on May 17 around 2 p.m.
According to the Forsyth County sheriff’s office, a 77-year-old woman was walking to her car in the parking lot of the Goodwill at the 700 block of Atlanta Highway. Moments later, two women approached the elderly victim and allegedly told her to “to get into their car or something would happen to her,” according to a sheriff spokesperson.
Once the elderly woman got inside of the suspect’s vehicle, deputies said the suspects reportedly “told the victim that she needed to withdraw $10,000 from her bank account, and they would give her $45,000 in return.”
The suspects then allegedly drove the elderly woman to her bank, where she withdrew the $10,000. The victim did not say anything to the bank teller because the suspects were “watching her, and she was afraid she would be harmed”, a deputy said.
The suspects then reportedly drove the woman back to the area of Merchant’s Square, where they allegedly gave the elderly woman an envelope of fake money as she got out of their car. The victim then immediately went to a nearby business to report she had just been robbed, according to deputies.
Detectives questioned the victim and she was able to provide them with a description of the suspects and a partial license plate number. A deputy saw the vehicle on Ga. 400 southbound and initiated a traffic stop.
The vehicle occupants, Cha-Rae Owens, 51, of Atlanta, and Sharon Sanford, 61, of Douglasville, were arrested and charged with kidnapping, exploitation of the elderly, and theft by deception. They were booked in the Forsyth County Jail with no bond.
Deputies recovered and returned all of the victim’s money to the victim.
“Criminals don’t care who their victims are, just like FCSO doesn’t care what it takes to bring criminals to justice. If you target our most vulnerable, you can expect to end up just like these two suspects in Forsyth County Jail, likely without bond. I am so proud of the deputies and detectives who worked so quickly in this case and allowed us to recover our victims $10K for her and put these suspects exactly where they belong, in Jail. It was indeed excellent police work yet again from our Deputies,” said Sheriff Ron Freeman.
According to a sheriff spokesperson, evidence at the scene indicated the suspects may have been allegedly involved in additional thefts and other crimes.
Detectives did not release the suspects’ mugshots because the investigation is ongoing, according to a sheriff spokesperson.
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