SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — An elderly woman in Spokane County claims that for the past four years, she and her home have been targeted by thieves and vandals.
The woman did not wish to reveal her name, but she is a resident of a more rural part of the county.
“They started vandalizing the property…my father-in-law [would run] them off every time he caught them. Since his death…things have escalated. They have burned down a 5th wheeler camper, they have burned down the house that her [the elderly woman] parents lived in,” Jennifer Parker, the daughter-in-law of the elderly woman said.
Parker and her family believe the vandals are from a “homeless encampment” on the street.
She claims she has seen the vandals and thieves on the property multiple times.
On Sunday, problems escalated further when a shed on the elderly woman’s property caught fire overnight.
“On Sunday night, they [the vandals] were… going around her shed. She was trying to witness it on the phone with 911. She tripped over a shoe and fell and broke two ribs, mangled her elbows and hit her head. After the ambulance took her away, they [the vandals] came right back and they burnt the shed down,” Parker said.
Parker told NonStop Local that the responding fire department, Spokane County Fire District #3, told the family there was no evidence of arson.
NonStop Local reached out to District #3 for more information, but has not heard back.
However, the family is still not ruling out arson.
“My husband and my brother-in-law have seen a small propane bottle with a torch on it right next to where the shed burned down,” Parker said.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the elderly woman has made consistent calls to their department about ongoing issues.
Issues include people trashing her property, attempted burglaries and theft.
The Sheriff’s Office says it likely is true that people are targeting the property and the woman.
However, the department says they have found no evidence of a “homeless encampment” in the area.
The Sheriff’s Office says they have directed patrols to drive by the woman’s home.
Despite their presence, or the elderly woman’s numerous calls, the family does not believe that the Sheriff’s Office’s response is enough.
“The response that she gets from calling 911…dispatch… is ‘call Crime Check’,” Parker said.
The elderly woman is being treated at Providence Sacred Heart.
Parker told NonStop Local that her mother-in-law wants to return home but feels terrified to go back.
