Angela Palumbo says her mother, Angelina Bellisma, 78, was parking her car on the corner of her home on Bancroft Street and Oregon Avenue after unloading groceries when she was attacked in broad daylight.
“I hear a shout, ‘Help me, help me!’ recalled Palumbo, while his mother was attacked, punched and robbed.
“When I saw my mom crying like a ball with a face full of pepper spray, I just lost it. For someone to come and just hurt her like that, there is no pain, there is no pain like that ”, said Palumbo.
SEE TOO: Police: Car theft on the rise in Philadelphia
Minutes before the attack, his home security camera shows Palumbo and his mother unloading groceries from the car. While they are doing this, three women slowly enter the painting, passing through the driver’s side doors.
“I think they may have seen an opportunity, but then I left and that opportunity went away with that,” said Palumbo.
Based on his clothes, Palumbo believes that women are the same suspects who targeted his mother.
Her mother said the women asked for a ride and, when she refused, she was attacked and her vehicle stolen.
Palumbo said his mother was on cancer treatment. She said that women need to be captured.
“They need to pay for what they did to her because she doesn’t deserve it. She just had cancer radiation, five surgeries and now that,” said Palumbo.
Bellisma is among 68 other victims of car thefts since the beginning of the year. Last year, the police reported a total of 410 incidents.
“We saw an increase, which is strange to see so many car thefts taking place,” said Capt. James Kearney of South Detectives. “It upsets your stomach.”
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