77-Year-Old Man Robbed, Held At Gunpoint Outside His Hollywood Home
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HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) – Lex Lexow, 77, returned to his Hollywood home late Tuesday evening from dinner and as he prepared to pull into his garage, he noticed a car behind him.
"I thought well, maybe it's somebody looking for directions," he told CBS4 News.
Seconds later, he learned the people weren't looking for directions. They were looking for stuff to steal. One of the three thieves confronted him.
"The guy had a gun pointed right at me through the passenger side window," he said. "His message was, 'Cooperate with us or we'll shoot you.'"
Lexow, who uses a walker, never left his car. He handed over his wallet and says one of the thieves stole his smartphone from his pocket while two others guys rifled through his house. At some point, Lexow began to plot his escape.
"My mind is racing like crazy and my heart is racing," he said.
Lexow said when the crooks ordered him into the garage he knew that was a bad idea. Instead, he backed his car up slightly and made a run for it.
"I put it in drive and floored it," Lexow said.
He said he took out some plants and a rock at his home but made it to a nearby grocery store where he called police. Lexow said by the time the police arrived the thieves were gone.
He hopes someone turns them in and he also hopes that people learn from his experience and pay close attention to their surroundings whenever they get home.
"When you're arriving home, particularly at night, you're just a sitting target for somebody with a gun," Lexow said. "You can't argue with a gun and you don't want to die."
Lexow says he often drives around his neighborhood before arriving home to make sure he's not being followed. However, he didn't do that on Tuesday night.
If you know who these criminals are and can help Hollywood Police find them, contact Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
