A 71-year-old San Francisco woman is considering moving out of the city after she was held down by a chokehold and taken by the neck in an attempted home invasion robbery. She and her domestic partner believe it was what she screamed that helped save her life.
A 71-year-old woman is considering moving out of town after being strangled in an attempted home burglary
Remia Reyes was unloading groceries from her pickup truck the afternoon of July 14 when she suddenly felt an arm around her neck. At first, she thought it was a relative giving her a playful hug, but as the grip grew tighter, she realized something was wrong and thought she was going to die.
“I said, God if this is my calling, I’ll accept it. I will accept it. If I have done something wrong in my life, forgive me. I’m willing to accept it, Lord. That’s what I was thinking,” Reyes said.
One of the two suspects lifted Reyes, barely 5 feet tall, off the ground and carried her with a headlock across the garage.
“I said, ‘Please don’t hurt me. I have some money. Not a lot, but I just want to share with you my money,” Reyes said.
It’s what Reyes said next that may have helped save his life.
“I said Dai! Dai! He thought I was telling Dan or dad,” Reyes said. She explained that” dai “is a term of endearment for someone in the Philippines.
“Maybe he thought I was Chinese,” said Reyes, referring to the stereotype that Chinese carry and possess large amounts of cash. The first suspect threw Reyes to the ground while the other one ran away.
Reyes pulled up his shorts to show the remnants of bruises on both knees and explained that the suspect also kicked him in the back.
While no possessions other than the garage door openers were taken, both women fear the couple will return and are now trying to figure out how to pay for a replacement garage door that cannot be opened with the stolen openers.
The 71-year-old also says she pretends to be brave for her brothers and sister, but inside she is still hurting and very afraid.
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