Police seek suspect after woman, 81, robbed in Red Deer retirement home

Red Deer RCMP are asking for the public's help in finding a man whowas caught red-handed stealing cash from a seniors' complex, and dropped a knife on the way out.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, policewere called to a report that a man had entered the apartment of an 81-year-old woman who lives atthe Victoria Park seniors' residence in the city's south end.

The victim surprised the suspect, who fled the room with an undisclosed amount of cash he had taken from her purse. Hedroppeda knife on his way out, police said in a news release on Tuesday.

The victim was not injured, but was taken to hospital as a precaution, police said.

Police searched the area around the independentliving complex, but could not findthe thief.

The suspect is described as a white man with a slim build. He is around 5'9" tall and was wearinga big parka, tinted glasses and dark pants at the time of the crime, police said.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.