A 94-year-old park ranger was beaten in her California home and the attacker made off with a presidential coin given to her by President Barack Obama in December.
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest ranger in the national park system, according to the
San Jose Mercury News, survived the Monday attack in Richmond, but suffered injuries. The newspaper reported that along with the coin, her iPhone, iPad, laptop, and jewelry were stolen.
"I fully expected he was going to kill me," Soskin told
KTVU-TV. "He doubled up his fist and hit me a couple of times on the sides of my face with all his might. … I don't even like to look at myself in the mirror at this point because I still have a couple black eyes and one is still marked. My lips were split in a couple of places."
Tom Leatherman, Soskin's boss and a National Park Service superintendent, told the Mercury News that he was "emotional" and "shocked" by the attack.
"It's hard to believe that it was a random attack," Leatherman said. "She has obviously been in the news a lot and has gotten a lot of attention."
The Mercury News said Soskin, who leads tours at the Rosie the Riveter/ World War II Home Front National Historic Park, was dragged, punched, and knocked down in the attack. After the attacker wrestled away her cellphone, she managed to escape and lock herself in her bathroom.
The
Richmond Standard said the Rosie the Riveter Trust started a fundraiser online for Soskin.
The
San Francisco Chronicle said Obama planned to replace Soskin's presidential coin after learning about the robbery.
Soskin had received the presidential coin when she met Obama at the White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony, said the Mercury News.
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