Sudbury man says he will avoid downtown after daytime robbery

Sudbury Police are investigating after an 89-year-old man was robbed of $800 in cash last Friday in the city’s downtown core.

Eli Taylor, 89, was downtown banking at two different banks and getting some shopping done just after 2 p.m. when he said he became a robbery victim in broad daylight.

Speaking with CTV News, Eli said he was not injured in the incident, but he is shaken because he believes he was targeted.

He said he thinks someone watched him get the $800 in cash from a teller at one of his banks.

Eli, who walks with a walker, was walking along Elm Street when he said a man in dark clothing ripped the cash from the chest pocket of his jacket.

“Started walking the street when someone grabbed my pocket and ran away,” he said.

“Never see him no more. Heck I couldn't run after him because I got the walker right.”

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When Eli returned home on the bus to his New Sudbury-area apartment, he told his son, Doug Taylor, what had happened.

“You could tell he was really upset when he came in,” said Doug.

“For the next couple of days he was still upset, you could tell. He wasn't sleeping too good either.”

Eli said the $800 was his wife’s pension money and that they “desperately” needed it.

“First time it ever happened to me,” he said, still upset.

Doug told CTV News that he is appalled anyone would rob an 89-year-old man.

“It's very wrong like I guess some people must of had a different up-comings, upbringings. I had a great one me, my dad taught me well,” he said.

“It's very wrong,” Doug said.

“That was the grocery money for them for the month. They are on a fixed pension, fixed income both of them, so they can't really do anything else after.”

Sudbury police said they are in the process of obtaining and reviewing video surveillance from the area at the time of the robbery.

Eli said he now plans to avoid the downtown core, a place where he has been banking and shopping for more than 50 years.