9 On Your Side Crime Watch
For one Tucson woman the Grinch is real
Thief steals $30,000 worth of valuables days before Christmas
Reporter: Claire Doan
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – For one Tucson woman this Christmas, the Grinch isn’t a fictional character: He’s a thief who stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of valuables from her home.
Norma Mitchell, a 62-year-old nurse, is hoping anybody who knows information about the robbery will call police with tips.
She said it will be an incredibly tough Christmas for her and a long time before she gets a real break, as the thief sole what she was saving for her retirement.
After a week of vacation, Mitchell walked into her eastside home near Golflinks and Harrison roads to find glass on the floor of her hallway and her bedroom in shambles. The thief had somehow melted the border of her bathroom skylight to get in Mitchell’s home.
“I was just devastated, totally devastated – a feeling unlike anything you would ever imagine,” Mitchell said.
The thief emptied two safes stored in the closet and took tons of cash, coin collections, all the jewelry and even dollar bills Mitchell was saving for her garage sales. In all, she lost $30,000 worth of valuables.
“It’s like my whole house was violated. Not just me. And my heart sank to my stomach and my stomach was in my throat. I couldn’t believe such a thing could happen to me,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell has since installed an alarm, but is still in shock. She said she now she has to work longer to recover at least part of what she lost.
“I would really like to try to find out who did this to me and maybe recover something – all my jewelry, maybe some money,” Mitchell said. “I’m not young. It’s not like I can work another 10 years to make up this money. I wanted to retire and I can’t do that.”
She also has a message for the person or people who did this to her – right before Christmas.
“They do not have the right to do this. If you need money, go through the proper channels to get help. Don’t go stealing something that somebody else worked hard to earn and save,” Mitchell said. “If they’re watching, I’m sorry I never wish bad things on people. But I hope these people burn in hell.”
Mitchell said she is not looking for pity. She just hopes that somebody who knows something – anything – will call police with tips.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.