Elderly woman caught red-handed stealing valuables

Chennai: An octogenarian woman from Mangadu was caught red-handed while trying to steal valuables from a house on Thursday night. The woman, aged 80 years, was found to be in possession of a pocket-sized notebook containing a list of potential targets for each day. The notebook, which served as a planner, had detailed entries specifying the houses she intended to burgle on specific dates.It all began on Thursday evening, when a woman busy in kitchen at her house in Kamakshi Amman Nagar, saw an elderly woman coming out of the bedroom of the house. When confronted, the elderly woman initially claimed to have moved into the house by mistake and tried to flee. She pushed the house owner aside and tried to escape. When house owner woman raised the alarm, her neighbours came to her rescue and caught hold of the elderly woman.An examination of her revealed four sovereigns of stolen jewellery, coins, and a Bible. While checking the Bible, they discovered handwritten notes listing addresses of other homes in the area that the elderly woman had intended to rob.On information, Mangadu police reached the spot. During questioning, police found that the suspect had been entering homes while the occupants were present, opening wardrobes, and stealing valuables. In one incident, she was accidentally trapped inside a house after locking the door from the inside. However, a neighbour opened the door for her through the window, believing her to be a guest.Police, who are yet to register a case, are searching for her relatives, as the woman appeared to be mentally depressed.