88-year-old widow violently robbed of thousands she saved for late husband’s gravestone

NEW YORK CITY — Police are looking for a man accused of attacking and robbing a woman in her Manhattan apartment, stealing thousands she had saved up to buy a headstone for her late husband's grave.

Just before noon Saturday, Maximina Osorio was arriving home at her apartment, when the unidentified man grabbed her from behind after she unlocked her door, police said. Police identified Osorio as being 89 years old, but she later told WPIX she is 88.

Authorities said the man pushed Osorio through her doorway and to the ground before demanding to know, "Where's the money?"

Osorio told WPIX Thursday the attacker told her to "shut up," and not to scream, even grabbing her face and nearly choking her to stop her from making noise.

The frightened widow told the thief her money was in a drawer in her bedroom, according to police.

The man proceeded to take $5,000 in cash from the woman's bedroom before fleeing her apartment, officials said.

Osorio said she had been saving the money for two years and was planning to use it to buy a gravestone for her late husband Salvatore. The couple were married for 50 years until his death about a year ago.

Her husband's death isn't the only tragedy the resilient woman has known. Osorio told WPIX she also had to bury a daughter in the past.

After the violent robbery, Osorio complained of neck and back pain and she was taken to a local hospital. Osorio said she spent three days in the hospital and is worried about a head injury.

While police have only released information about one man wanted in connection with the robbery, Osorio said he had an accomplice in the robbery, and that her attacker spoke both English and Spanish.

The NYPD describe the man as standing about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 160 pounds, with a full beard. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue hooded sweatshirt, a blue t-shirt, white sneakers, a backpack, and a black and blue Philadelphia Flyers baseball cap, authorities said.

A local woman has launched a GoFundMe for Osario.