Brampton Woman, 78, Robbed of $20,000 Jewelry During Evening Walk

A summer evening walk in Brampton ended in a theft that has left one family shaken and a 78-year-old woman afraid to return to the neighbourhood routine she once enjoyed.

Police are investigating the July 28 incident, which occurred shortly before 6 p.m. on a residential street near Chinguacousy Road and Bovaird Drive West. Raghavendra Kumar says his mother, who does not speak English well, initially believed the woman approaching her was a neighbour.

A Brief Moment of Trust

Kumar said surveillance footage shows an SUV stopping near his mother before a woman gets out and approaches her. The woman bent down to touch the older woman’s feet, then hugged her, Kumar said.

“For about 10 seconds, she was completely believing and trusting of that female,” Kumar told CTV News.

The family’s account describes a theft built around that fleeting trust. In reporting published by europesays.com, Kumar told CTV News that the woman placed a fake piece of jewelry around his mother’s neck while taking her real gold necklace, and that gold bangles were also taken.

Kumar said the jewelry’s significance went far beyond its value.

“That jewelry is more emotional,” he said. “My father passed away around 2008… the jewelry was gifted by my father when they got married in 1971.”

He said his father, a goldsmith, had made the pieces for his mother.

A Family Focused on Her Health

Kumar said his mother was “shivering” after realizing what had happened and could not walk. When she arrived home, he said, she was unable to speak for about 30 minutes.

“When she rang the bell, I was tensed… because she’s already a heart patient,” Kumar said. “I was more worried about her health. I was least worried about the jewelry at that moment.”

According to europesays.com’s reporting, Kumar estimated that about 110 grams of gold jewelry, valued at roughly $20,000, was taken from his mother.

He said she has since stopped taking the evening walks she used to look forward to during the summer. Kumar described those walks as a chance for her to go around the crescent and chat with neighbours. Now, he said, she walks only in the backyard.

“She is completely low,” he said. “She has stopped going for walks outside.”

Police Review the Investigation

Peel police are investigating the theft involving Kumar’s mother. In reporting carried by europesays.com, Peel police identified a white Chevrolet Equinox as a vehicle of interest.

Kumar said he collected CCTV footage from several homes in the area and provided it to police. Peel police said they had reviewed the footage he supplied.

The case remains under investigation, with no resolution announced in the information available.

Toronto Case Not Confirmed Linked

Kumar came forward after seeing coverage of a separate Toronto jewelry theft in June, involving an allegation that a victim’s chain was replaced with a fake one.

Peel police said they are aware of the Toronto incident. But, according to europesays.com, police say there is currently no evidence confirming that the two thefts are connected.

For Kumar, the uncertainty has compounded the shock of what happened close to home.

“Everyone in the family was shocked because we never expected that can happen in our neighborhood for an elderly person,” he said.

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