Elderly Kaufman County woman still trying to recover after being tied up, having home set on fire
KAUFMAN, Texas - A 78-year-old Kaufman County woman is facing severe medical challenges more than two weeks after being attacked by an armed robber.
Even with a clear sketch of the suspect, authorities are still searching for the woman wanted for attempted capital murder, aggravated robbery, and arson.
The victim’s family said it’s still very much a touch and go situation that is changing day-to-day.
Peggy Wright was at Parkland’s burn unit for 10 days, before transferring out to a rehab facility, but within a day, was back in the hospital as her condition worsened.
“She’s still in excruciating pain and it’s horrible. You just wouldn’t want this on your worst enemy,” Wright’s daughter, Carla Cullum, said.
Cullum said there are still marks on her mother’s arms where an armed robber tied the 78-year-old woman down to a lawn chair with cables and rope during the attack the morning of October 15.
READ MORE: Robbery suspect wanted after tying up elderly Kaufman County woman, setting home on fire
“That’s what she said, was, ‘If you scream, fight me, or anything, I’m going to kill you,’” Cullum said.
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office released a sketch of the suspect who forced her way into the victim’s home in the 4500 block of FM 148, near Kaufman.
It happened as the victim was leaving for work.
“Grabbed her and she dragged her in the house at gunpoint. She took her into the house and tied her up and pretty much ransacked her home,” Cullum said.
The family said the attacker took their mother’s phone and purse, which had a family heirloom inside.
Then she started a fire in the kitchen, and left the victim tied up.
“When she left the house, my mom cried, and she says ‘I’m going to die,’ and she just prayed to God. She just knew it was it for her,” Cullum said.
It wasn’t until neighbors noticed the home on fire and called for help that the victim was rescued.
Ever since, it’s taken a toll physically and mentally on Wright, who can’t breathe on her own and still has burns on her legs.
“Even when they hold her hand to prick her finger, to prick her for her glucose test, she screams out, ‘Don’t tie me down, don’t tie me down.’ That’s very hard to watch too,” Cullum said.
The suspect is described as a heavy set woman with strawberry hair, who was wearing gold rimmed glasses.
The family said they don’t know who she is and authorities have not said if they’re any closer to identifying her.
“This lady needs to be caught, because if she’s not caught, she’s going to say, ‘Oh, I got away with it, I’m going to do it again,’” Cullum added.
The family still doesn’t know when she might be able to go home from the hospital.
The victim will likely have to go to a rehab facility once she’s released.