Cocky Burglars Picked The Wrong House To Target

Quite The Surprise

He slowly walked through the hallway, his men walked behind him. They were all wondering where all of the valuable stuff was kept. Maybe there was a jewelry box somewhere close by. They just had to look.

Buy then they heard the sound of a door whipping open. It broke the silence in the house and now they knew they weren’t alone. The burglars would find out quickly that they had picked the wrong house.

Recent Burglary

The gang felt invincible, they had gotten away with many break-ins across different neighborhoods in North Carolina. They had been going for months and still hadn’t been caught.

The gang was getting cocky, they started casing and breaking into riskier places. But that day, they thought it would be an easy score. Unfortunately, they had no idea what they were walking into.

Nightmare For Police

The gang had caused a huge headache for the local police department. For six months, they were always one step behind in their crime spree.

They had burglarized more than a dozen houses at this point. They had always taken anything valuable that wasn’t nailed down. The cops couldn’t catch them, but they had no idea that the person to bring them to justice would be a 75-year-old woman.

Seemingly Unstoppable

The gang was never traced to the crime through fingerprints, they knew exactly how to remain untraced. They always were quick to enter and quick to exit. They stole everything from jewelry to laptops to mobile devices.

They would change cars frequently and never use the same masks on a new job. This meant that it was especially hard to figure out when they were going to strike next.

Against The Law

The gang was clearly against the law. They probably enjoyed the thrill of knowing that there was nothing the local police could do. And they were right.

The men felt invincible. No matter what job they pulled, there would be no repercussions for them. But they would soon be taken down by the person they least expected to.

Karen Davis

The woman that would end up taking them down was named Karen Davis. She was a grandmother well into her 70s. Her neighbors knew her as a relaxed woman that was happy with her retirement.

But the thieves would know her as an unstoppable fury that would quickly end their crime spree. She had a few surprises that her neighbors had no idea she was capable of.

A Strange Hobby

You see, one of Karen’s favorite hobbies was bodybuilding. She had done so since she was in her youth and wouldn’t let age get in the way.

She kept up her exercise and when she retired, she decided to take things to the next level. Dedicating most of her free time to bodybuilding. She always got the weirdest stares from people at the gym.

Shredded

Karen was wonderfully fit. So much more than a 75-year-old should have been. She could take a man in his 20s and has even won some bodybuilding competitions before.

It was a strange hobby to be sure, but there were other rumors that her neighbors had heard about. This granny seemed to be a woman that you really didn’t want to cross, but the thieves didn’t know that.

Rumors

A lot of her neighbors gossiped about the legitimacy of her bodybuilding. They wondered if she used substances to enhance her muscle mass. It was a valid concern since she had the physique of a man in his 20s.

But Karen never let the rumors get to her. She claimed that she kept herself 100 percent natural when it came to what she put in her body.

It Would Pay Off

Even though she was so dedicated to her hobby, she never thought that it would save her life one day. It would also win her the hearts of the community when they heard what had happened that day.

Of course, the gang of thieves wasn’t aware of what the outcome of their latest shenanigans would be. When they first entered Karen’s house that night, they thought it would be easy.

One Night

The thieves broke into the house around 2 am, while Karen was sleeping. When they were caught, they hadn’t taken anything yet: they were just wandering around the house, looking for anything valuable they could grab.

But all of a sudden, Karen woke up. She hadn’t even heard anything, but she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. And that’s when it all started.

Rumble

Both the thieves and the granny were shocked to see each other: it took Karen only a few seconds to get over the confusion of seeing some masked strangers in her house.

As it was reported later on, the two parties got into a physical altercation right away. But no one could have ever predicted what its outcome would be.

Police Arrive

Apparently, three of the four members of the gang were knocked out; the last one was tackled and pinned down to the floor by Karen until the police made their appearance.

When the officers first saw the scene after walking through the door, they were amazed, but probably a bit ashamed as well. Who could have thought that a 75-year-old lady had been capable of doing what they had been unsuccessfully trying to do for months?

Officers’ Reaction

However, according to Karen, the officers were really kind and thankful for her actions. They even asked her to take some selfies with them.

They also asked her if she was alright, and she assured them that she hadn’t even got a single bruise. Clearly, it was the robbers who got the worst deal from the altercation.

A Happy Ending

Finally, justice was done, and the gang who had been terrorizing North Carolina for months got caught. The four of them are currently waiting for trial.

And as is to be expected, Karen is proud of not only having served the community, but also of her bodybuilding hobby, her effort, and her dedication paying off in such a severe situation. But, this wasn’t the first time a granny has given some would-be thieves a rude awakening.

Soft Targets

We’ve all heard stories about the elderly being victimized because they are “easy” targets. They are favorite targets for phone scams, door-to-door sales, and even simple thieves. They are so vulnerable that they get targeted at the most amazing moments.

When Karen was accosted by three men during a shopping trip, the narrative pretty much writes itself. However, what they didn’t realize was that she was no ordinary granny. She had a few surprises up her sleeve.

Simple Life

77-year-old Winifred Peel from a small town near Liverpool, doesn’t look different to any other older woman. She keeps herself fairly busy in her retirement. She enjoyed the less hurried pace of her life and happily went about her daily business.

Growing up, Winifred had always led an active lifestyle. She loved to help her father who loved to tinker and fix things at home and she became involved in various sports. However, something stuck with her through all the years and as it turned out, may have saved her life.

Across Town

While on her way to her favorite cafe for some tea and cake, Winifred passed a group of young men near the bank. They were standing around arguing with each other but she didn’t give them much thought. However, as it turned out, she should have paid more attention to them.

While on her way she remembered that she needed to find a gift for her best friend’s daughter. She quickly went into the shops and found the perfect gift, only to discover she didn’t have any cash. Since it was a small town there weren’t any banks nearby so she set off at a brisk pace to the closest ATM.

At Risk

After several minutes Winifred finally spied an ATM and began to approach. As she drew closer she began to fumble in her bag looking for her bank card. She couldn’t find the card so she stopped short of the ATM so she good search her bag properly.

It was while staring into the depths of her bag that she became aware of a shuffling behind her. She had no idea that her brief hesitation was about to become a defining moment in her life. She looked up and her face flushed.

Caught Off Guard

Hearing the shuffling behind her, she immediately assumed she was in someone else who wanted to use the machine’s way. She turned to see a woman behind her patiently waiting for her to go about her business.

Knowing she’ll be a moment Winifred turned to the woman and said “You go ahead, I’ll be a minute”. The woman thanked her and stepped up to the machine while Winifred searched her bag. Little did she know that danger was fast approaching.

Uneasy Feeling

Winifred had always been a fairly trusting person. She always believed in the good in people and lived by the motto “give kindness, receive kindness back”. It was a mindset that had served her well through the years.

As she stood there searching her bag, she noticed several shadows looming over her. She didn’t give it much thought as she rummaged through her bag, finally producing her bank card. However, that would turn out to be a mistake.

Knocked To the Ground

Winifred slipped her card into the machine and followed all the normal prompts. She typed in her PIN code and pressed the ‘Continue’ button. It was at that moment that felt she herself knocked to the ground as her vision blurred.

Dazed and confused, Winifred didn’t know what’s going on. She tried to get her bearings and make sense of what was happening. One thing was clear, she was in danger. However, how would she be able to defend herself.

Out of Nowhere

Everything had happened in the merest blink of an eye. From the shadows, entering her pin, the shuffling, and finding herself on the ground. It had all happened so fast that she hadn’t really had time to register.

She felt the pain shoot through her body as she fell to the ground. That’s when the adrenaline kicked it. She felt it surge through her as she shook off the pain thinking: “You’re not taking my money, young man.” She got up and rounded on the man, doing something unthinkable.

No Time To Think

Seething with anger, she sprung back to her feet. Before they had the time to react, she was on top of them. It was the same three men who’d been making a scene at the bank earlier.

Clearly, they thought they’d have more luck hassling old ladies. But Winny was a poor choice of target.

Grandma Fights Back

Lunging at the closest, she grabbed his head and used her full weight to wrestle him against the wall. The seconds seem to have frozen and Winny’s face was unreadable, no fear or anger. In that instant, the thieves flew right at her.

Winny was old but very strong after all. Six pairs of rough hands tried to seize her, but Winny’s right hand shot out and landed on one thief’s face. Panicking, his accomplices wrestled him free then sprinted away down the road.

A Moment of Reflection

Still full of adrenaline, Winny started to give chase, before the gravity of the situation finally hit her at full-force..

“It was only afterwards that I realised what I’d done and started shaking,” she said, “what if he’d had a knife? I might not be here today.” Thinking she’d let them get away, she cursed to herself. But it wasn’t over yet.

Rushing To Help

Hearing the noise, some people nearby turned the corner to see Winifred looking distressed. Running to her aid, she waved them off, instead insisting they catch the assailants.

While one person stayed with her, the other two hurried off around the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of them before it was too late.

Preying On The Vulnerable

The unlucky trio of teenage criminals – Felix Stoica, 19, Piper Dumitru, 18, and Florin Geblescu, 18 – Were looking for “easy targets” that night, but underestimated Winny’s determination not to be taken advantage of.

They had driven to Bromborough from Manchester in search of vulnerable prey to target. But they got a lot more than they bargained for.

Breadcrumb Trail

The chase was short-lived. The good samaritans had been just a touch too late to see where the attackers had run to but the police weren’t far behind. In her furious counter-attack, Winny had caused a fair amount of damage.

The wall and floor surrounding the cash machine was marked from the attack, with the trail leading off around the corner.

Fighting Fit

For years, Winifred had visited the gym four times a week. As she grew older, her routine had become less intensive, yet her persistence ensured she was still fighting fit.

On the day of her attack, her body took the reigns, using every ounce of strength to defend herself. Unleashing her anger, she had ensured that the would-be thieves would be brought to justice.