Honolulu, Hawaii – The loved ones of an elderly couple who were attacked on Friday are pleading for the harshest penalties possible for the suspect involved. While details on whether an arrest has been made remain unclear as of late Saturday, the family is seeking justice.
The granddaughter of the 72-year-old woman who was victimized expressed not only shock and distress but also anger at the situation. Mariah Schlegel, who was thousands of miles away in Seattle at the time of the assault, received a video from her mother showing her grandmother being attacked in an apartment parking garage on Kalakaua Avenue.
According to Schlegel, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Friday when her grandmother confronted a food delivery driver who had parked illegally. The confrontation escalated, resulting in the grandmother being knocked down and the perpetrator turning on her 65-year-old partner when he intervened.
The severity of the attack left the 72-year-old woman hospitalized in serious condition, prompting calls for stricter penalties for crimes against the elderly. In response to the incident, state lawmakers in 2021 approved a bill increasing penalties for intentional crimes against individuals aged 60 and older.
State Representative Adrian Tam, representing the Ala Moana and Waikiki area, supported the bill, emphasizing the need for justice and cooperation between delivery companies and law enforcement to ensure the apprehension of the suspect. The family is grateful for the support from the community during this challenging time and urges anyone with information on the suspect to contact the authorities.