95-year-old Berkeley woman robbed on Thanksgiving Day

BERKELEY, Calif. - A 95 year old Berkeley woman has a warning for others.

She said she was robbed on Thanksgiving day while walking on a Bay Area trail. 

The beauty and serenity of the San Francisco Bay Trail in Berkeley drew Frances Roberts for a walk about 1:30 in the afternoon. 

"It was a beautiful day. I thought well, I'm not hungry. I'll go out and take a walk. And I thought it was the safest place to walk," said Roberts. 

But she wasn't safe.

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She said a man pulled up in a dark car with a woman and kids inside. 

Roberts said the man gestured for her to come to the car and asked her for the location of the nearest supermarket.

She said she kept her distance but that the woman suddenly got out of the car and told Roberts she wanted to give her some jewelry

"She had a string of a necklace-like thing. And then she grabbed me around the neck, threw it over my head, " Roberts said, "What she was doing was taking my gold necklace off, but I didn't know it. I didn't feel it come off."

Roberts said the woman grabbed her left hand saying she wanted to give her rings, while trying to pull off the 2 carat diamond ring Roberts was wearing.

"She keep twisting and turning and spitting on it. And I said just leave it alone. I don't want it off," she continued. 

Roberts said the woman managed to pry the diamond ring off her finger-causing it to bleed.

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The thief then took off in the car.

Two bicyclists in the area helped Roberts call police.

"I was just sick. I thought, I'll never see it again," Roberts said as she showed KTVU a photo of the stolen gold necklace worn by her mother until she died. 

Mother and daughter had chipped in to buy the necklace and they made a pact. Roberts said her mother would wear it until she died and then Roberts would wear it until she died.

Both the necklace and diamond ring are heirlooms passed on from mother to daughter.

"It's awful to be taken advantage of with something that you love. Somebody just drives up and take it away from you," said Roberts. 

She showed KTVU two rings that the woman put in Roberts's pocket while she stole the diamond ring.

Roberts described the female thief as being about  five feet tall, heavy-set, wearing a bandana, multiple scarves. layers of clothing  and a floor length dress or skirt.

Roberts said both the man and woman have a dark complexions and appear to be in their forties.

She said police officer who responded to the scene told her there has been at least one other similar incident involving suspects with the same description.

KTVU reached out to Berkeley Police but was told no detective was available to confirm details.