An elderly Foster City man was left in disbelief after he was followed home from Costco and attacked for his Rolex watch.
“He grabbed me and his accomplice, a woman, started to rip off my Rolex watch,” said the victim, who was left with scratches on his hands and arms.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said he first saw the suspects, a man and a woman, at a Foster City shopping center at around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, when they tried to sell him some type of jewelry.
The second time he saw them, they had him in a headlock right outside his home.
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“She’s grabbing me here and I could have punched her, but I thought wiser because he may be armed and I don't think it's worth my life,” he said.
The thieves left with the victim's $30,000 Rolex.
According to Foster City police, the suspects fled in a newer model white Chevy Tahoe. No weapons were seen or used.
Foster City police said their investigators conducted an extensive area check for witnesses and evidence. With the help of residential security cameras and the city's automated license plate recognition cameras, police identified the suspect vehicle.
The victim described one suspect as a white male adult, 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with dark hair and wearing a multi-colored t-shirt. The second suspect is described as a white female adult, 5'7" tall, and having a stocky build with dark shoulder-length hair.
About three hours before the Foster City incident and a few dozen miles south Wednesday afternoon, another attack occurred in the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.
Police said several armed men in two different vehicles caved in a couples car, then pointed their guns and stole a purse and watches. At one point in the Palo Alto incident, the male victim tried to fight them off and ended up with minor injuries.
“It’s crazy to think, this place is generally pretty safe, for stuff like that to happen here,” said Palo Alto resident Eric Marron. “Everyone has to be extra cautious now."
Anyone with information regarding the Foster City incident is urged to contact the Foster City Police Department's detective bureau at (650) 286-3300.
Bay City News contributed to the report.
