Palos Hills Woman Watering Flowers Grabbed By Stranger in Front Yard: Cops

PALOS HILLS, IL -- Palos Hills police are investigating a report of an elderly woman who said she was grabbed by a man in her front yard as she was watering her flowers. The man ran away when the woman’s husband came out of the house drawn by his wife’s screams, according to police.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. Monday in the 7800 block of West 104th Street in Palos Hills. According to police, the woman was outside watering her flowers when she noticed a black male pacing up and down her street past her home. The woman thought the man was behaving suspiciously so she kept her eye on him.

After she finished watering her flowers she walked down her driveway towards the rear her home to put away the garden hose. When she turned around, she saw the man was standing directly behind her. She screamed at him to go away and sprayed him with the garden hose.

The man told the woman to shut up and put his hand over her mouth, police said. She pulled away from him and started screaming. Police said the man took off running in an eastbound direction when he saw the woman’s husband running out of the house.

The alleged offender is described as a black male in his late teens to early 20s around 5-feet-8-inches tall with an Afro hairstyle. Police said the man was also wearing a backpack. The woman told police she has never seen the man before and initially thought he was a solicitor. Police searched the area but couldn't find the man.

Anyone who saw a suspicious car or other activity in the area is asked to call the Palos Hills Police Department at 708-598-2992.

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