Serial thieves force pensioner to sugar diet

A village in Central Russia has been shaken by a series of robberies. An old-age pensioner claims two young men came to her for months, threatened her and took all her money, so she couldn't even buy food.

84-year-old Anastasia Novosyolova lives in a small house in the country, looking after her disabled son. Living just on her pension, she thought things couldn’t get any more difficult – but then life turned into a real nightmare.

“I came home from the bank one day and two men were lying in wait for me. They said – do you have the dough? Give it here!” says Anastasia Novosyolova.

Police arrested two suspects. 20-year-old Viktor Panin and Denis Khaldiyev were captured with a new TV-set, suits, ties and jewelry, and also two medals Anastasia was awarded following the World War II.

It seems taking money from a defenseless old-age pensioner was the best job the attackers could think of, as they robbed her every month for four months.

“I could only manage to buy sugar, no bread even. I was giving all my money to them,” recalls the victim.

Anastasia says she had nearly $7000 she’d been saving for her funeral.

“She was threatened with weapons – an axe and a knife to be exact. She was so scared she didn’t even call the police,” a police officer linked to the case said.

Who knows how long the attacks would have continued if it wasn’t for Anastasia’s neighbors, who called the police after realizing she’d stopped visiting the local shop.

The suspects now face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.